N°178/179. 1986. Fundamental Developments in Design Models - Contributions to a joint meeting organized by Commission II Structural Analysis and Commission IV Members Design

This special joint meeting of Commissions II and IV together with other members of the CEB is dedicated to the memory of Professor A.L.L. Baker who died on May 20th this year aged 80. 

After working overseas for some years Arthur Baker was appointed to the newly created chair of Concrete Structures and Technology at Imperial College Londen in 1945 where he remained until his retirement in 1973. 

Under his leadership the new department grew strongly and developed the DIC diploma course and later a Master1s degree in Concrete Structures. These courses attracted students from all over the world and were highly regarded. At the same time the department engaged in research projects ranging from materials science, through member design to the fundamentals óf analysis and gave a sound training to numerous research students. 

Arthurs Baker1s greatest personal achievement in research was in the development of ultimate limit state design and the rational treatment  of ductility in reinforced concrete. In this he was involved in every phase from the first research to the eventual production of codes of practice. His interests were however remarkably wide and his first book 11Reinforced Concrete11 published in 1949 treated not only the tech­nology of reinforced and prestressed concrete but also economics and aesthetics. 

Arthur Baker was a pioneer member of the CEB and became the reporter of the Commission on Hyperstatics following the Plenary Sessions of Vienna in 1959 . He was very active in the drafting of the Model Code Recommendations of 1964 and 1970, and later in the preparation of the­annexe on Hyperstatic Structures published in 1973. In 1971 he became a member of the Advisory Committee. 

At home he was a major contributor to the 1972 Code (CPllO) which in­troduced much CEB thinking into British recommendations. 

He will long be remembered by his colleagues and fermer students as a remarkably approachable and kindly man who brought enthusiasm and in­tergrity to everything he did.