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Engineering Design Of Famous UK Bridges
The United Kingdom has seen many feats of outstanding engineering design constructed on its islands. As the first country to become fully industrialised, it is little wonder that so many of the world's pioneering engineering design aficionados came from these shores. This article looks at some of the more prominent structures.
The famous Bristol man Isambard Kingdom Brunel is one the country's most celebrated engineering ground breakers, having been involved in the construction of various challenging projects. He is best known for the Clifton Suspension Bridge - one of Bristol's most visible landmarks. As you approach the city from the south west, the bridge creates a majestic silhouette over the River Avon between Clifton Down and Leigh Woods.
The bridge took a long time to come to fruition, with the first suggestion of such a structure being made by William Vick in 1753. This wealthy local merchant put one thousand pounds in an account, and in his will requested that when the sum reached ten thousand pounds (from interest), that a bridge be built across the Avon Gorge. Once the sum reached 8000 pounds, concepts for a bridge started to emerge (though the sum was woefully inadequate). After two competitions, the Bristol Riots and a bridge toll proposition, Brunel's engineering design for a bridge was selected, and was completed by 1864.
Another famous national engineering design is the Forth Rail Bridge (not to be confused with the Forth Road Bridge), which began construction in 1883, finishing in 1890. Even by today's standards, this feat of engineering design is considered most impressive. Designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler, the bridge was the first structure in Britain to be made of steel. With 450 injuries and 98 deaths, this iconic Scottish bridge was not without cost.
Today, Balfour Beatty maintains the bridge under contract from Network Rail, a task which never ends. Contrary to popular myth, the process of painting the bridge does not begin again as soon as one covering is applied; in fact the current painting contract is set to take 7 years at a cost of 13 million pounds a year.
The Rail Bridge remains an impressive engineering design as it used construction methods which were unproven - resulting in a bridge that is still used by up to 200 trains a day, mostly freight. It was made with heavier steam engines in mind, so the lighter modern locomotives used on the UK network are all suitable for crossing the structure.
Brunel, Baker and Fowler are just three of the characters which make UK engineering design history so fascinating. Many others have left the country with a legacy of iconic structures, of which many are still in use - proof of the long term, forward thinking methods of the engineering design experts involved.
About the Author Anna Stenning is an expert on engineering design, having been involved in several construction projects.
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