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The Celtic Manor Hotel Bridge crosses the M4 motorway and forms the main access to the largest hotel and leisure resort in Wales. It was also to be the access for the construction of the Wales International Convention Centre (WICC). A load-carrying assessment found the bridge to be unable to carry a 40 t assessment live load in accordance with Highways Agency, UK guidance BD 21/01, with critical sections failing in shear under its own factored self-weight. A BD 79 risk-management approach using reliability analysis techniques combined with load mitigation interim measures was used to assess the bridge's continued satisfactory performance in the short term. This project uncovered valuable research that provides information on reliability analysis techniques and probability density functions which enabled the application of the technique to this bridge assessment. Strengthening works were designed to enable the bridge to remain in service in the longer term while maintaining safety levels. Shear strengthening was installed during night-time bridge and M4 lane closures and allowed for continued hotel use and passage of construction vehicles without causing any delays to the WICC construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heathrow expansion project proposals comprise major works around Heathrow airport to allow the construction of new terminal buildings and the third runway. Owing to the critical nature of uninterrupted operation of both runway and the M25 motorway, the preliminary design had to be developed to minimise maintenance operations. At over 140 m in the total length, the adoption of an integral bridge of this length is in excess of most integral bridges in the UK, particularly where full-height abutments are being utilised. The maximum predicted expansion length also lies outside the limit equilibrium method set out in PD6694-1. As such, it was agreed that a full soil–structure interaction study should be carried out to assess the impacts of the structural behaviour of the bridge and its abutments. This paper looks at the calibration work for that study, the derivation of the earth pressures behind the walls, the behaviour of the abutment and how this compares with the predictions set out in PD 6694-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, engineers working in design offices have become much better at designing for constructability. The use of the design and build form of procurement has, in many ways, been instrumental in this change. The use of accelerated bridge construction in the USA, although primarily a method of reducing traffic impact, has also helped engineers become better at designing for constructability. However, it can be argued that engineers have not made the same progress in designing bridges to make future inspections and maintenance easier. In fact, unless an employer's requirements for inspection and maintenance are clearly prescribed in detail in the contract, then the design and build form of procurement is perhaps the least advantageous when considering the service life of a structure. Over the lifespan of a bridge, the service life costs, including inspection and maintenance, can account for a significant percentage of the lifecycle costs of the bridge. Therefore, the importance of not only ensuring that an adequately funded proper inspection and maintenance regime is established but also that sufficient attention is paid to the provision of inspection and maintenance during the design stage cannot be overstated. This paper examines and compares current practice in the UK and USA and considers ways of improving the design process to assist the future inspection and maintenance of bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Launching is a bridge erection method that provides significant advantages when there is difficult underdeck access for falsework, crane and heavy plant. In such cases, assembling the deck in a more accessible position and launching it over the piers may mean a significant saving of resources. In some cases access is simply not possible due to other constraints, for example over environmentally protected areas. This is the case of the north approach viaduct of the new Queensferry Crossing, a major cable-stayed bridge over the Firth of Forth in Scotland, UK. This paper provides a description of the approach viaduct north and its launch process. This viaduct is a single/twin-girder bridge with composite section and two spans of 101·5 m and 104 m. Owing to its particular characteristics and impressive launch weight of 6200 t, the launching process has not been conventional, and particular solutions have been used and combined to ensure full compliance with the strict design constraints. The assembly process was not conventional either, owing to space constraints and the weight and size of the pieces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new Queensferry Crossing near Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, is a cable-stayed bridge with a total length of 2637·5 m and three towers up to 210 m high. The two cable-supported main spans are 650 m long, the two back spans are 223 m and there are approach viaducts at each end of the variable spans, up to 104 m long. The two cable planes are arranged centrally between both carriageways and overlap in the centre of the main spans. This special feature is necessary in order to stabilise the deck and, especially, the central tower. Unique design features, such as having the world's longest pair of free-standing cantilevers with an overall length of 644 m, and constructing the works in an exposed location in adverse weather conditions put very high demands on the engineers and workers involved. This paper describes the design and construction of the cable-stayed bridge deck and cables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional accounts of expert authority frequently over-simplify relations between science and politics, and presume the existence of a singular 'interface' between these domains. In contrast, this article draws on semi-structured interviews to document how the authority of UK Chief Scientific Advisers emerges from their engagement in the construction and bridging of several distinct but interrelated boundaries. Building on co-productionist accounts of science–policy interactions, the paper moreover contends that these various boundaries are themselves constituted within place-specific contexts. The locally-situated, material conditions of advice-giving, in short, fundamentally shape the hybridisation and mutual alignment of science and politics around specific governance objectives. Further analytical work on expert advisory processes and expert authority should, we contend, be more closely attuned to the roles played by discursive, social, and material factors in facilitating boundary bridging and co-production in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and construction of an integral bridge that provides road access over the River Nene in Northampton (UK), to the new university campus. The client's aspirations and planning requirements mandated retention of the existing landscape character while also creating an appropriate landmark. This resulted in an elegant 50 m span flat arch structure with only 3·6 m rise. The awarded tender design proposed an alternative steel–concrete composite solution that is integral with its abutments and includes stiffened counterfort walls. A comparison between several alternative articulations arrangements considered for the rigid frame structure is presented. Sensitivity-based analysis between geotechnical and structural models for the derivation of support stiffness and resulting global load distribution between deck and piled foundations relating specifically to the flat arch arrangement is also described. Finally, a discussion of construction sequence, tolerance considerations, and temporary works for stability in the temporary condition is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Highways England A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme consists of both online improvements to existing sections of the A14 and a new offline section constructed on a green field site bypassing Huntingdon, UK. The scheme includes the design and construction of 22 integral bridges in varying forms typically found across the wider highway network. This paper outlines the different structural forms used on the A14 including 'bankseat' abutments on discrete columns, half-height abutments on a single row of piles and full-height abutments. The design challenges encountered for each type of structure are discussed, including the methods of modelling adopted for the soil–structure interaction. Primarily, it will highlight areas where the current codes of practice and design guidance (such as 'PD 6694-1:2011: Recommendations for the design of structures subject to traffic loading to BS EN 1997 1:2004') could be developed to reflect the specific requirements of modelling these types of structures, now commonly in use, and how the requirements varied depending on the type of abutment/foundation considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrification of the Great Western Railway Route being undertaken requires the alteration of existing infrastructure. Farm Road Bridge is a railway overbridge located adjacent to the Severn tunnel in the UK. The original masonry arch arrangement was foul of the electrification gauge. The bridge was reconstructed in 2015 with the innovative use of an integral form. The bridge was constructed in an unconventional manner with the deck and piled walls built on top and beyond the existing arch span. Once the new bridge was completed, the arch structure was demolished from below. The bridge was designed to act as an 'aqueduct' in extreme flood events. The monolithic nature of the integral structure ensures the bridge is watertight and prevents flooding of the Severn tunnel. As the bridge was designed to fit over the existing arch, the deck has varying depths, slimming down from 1 m at the abutments to 0·5 m thick at the centre of the 20 m span. The increase in road level is thus minimised. The change in relative stiffness of the deck means internal forces are redistributed towards the ends of the span. This paper outlines the design and construction of the permanent and temporary works for this structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development and use of jacked tunnel methods for installing underbridges below rail tracks and highways avoiding disruption to traffic movements. A range of techniques based on jacking precast units have been developed in the UK since 1967, when the abutments for a small underbridge below the main rail line near Exeter were jacked into place, the bridge deck being installed in a short track possession. This was the forerunner to a number of developments and projects, including modular methods to create bridge piers and abutments, box jacking and advanced support structures. The developments of the jacked deck and arch methods based on preformed lining units being jacked in on a slide path, a hybrid of deck slide and tunnelling, have greatly increased the possible clear spans, installation lengths and structure configurations. The key development issues are illustrated by reference to completed projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordsall Chord rail link project in Manchester, UK was designed using building information modelling. Federated three-dimensional models produced by all design disciplines were held in a common data environment, with modelling developed down to the level of individual reinforcement bars. Early involvement of both the main contractor and its steel fabrication subcontractor allowed conventional roles and processes to be challenged. The design models and drawings were produced on the designer's behalf by the steelwork subcontractor, although these models and drawings were still owned by the structural designer. In some cases, drawings were dispensed with entirely, and key structures were built directly from the digital model, prepared in collaboration between fabricator and designer, and taking advantage of the fabricator's highly automated working method. This paper explains the contractual arrangements and collaborative behaviours that allowed conventional roles to be challenged, and discusses the efficiencies that resulted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimising maintenance requirements and whole-life costs is becoming increasingly important to clients. The new Pont Briwet combined road and rail viaduct in north Wales addresses this, as it is a fully integral structure. No movement joints were provided for the highway and no rail adjustment switches were required. At 133 m long, eliminating any movement provision posed certain design and construction challenges. This paper describes the analysis undertaken to prove movement provision was not required and describes how this influenced the arrangement and detailing. As it is set in a picturesque estuarine location in Snowdonia National Park, the client also desired a visual form for the viaduct befitting its surroundings. The construction challenges in meeting this requirement and those posed by the integral nature of the viaduct are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents load models for quantifying the effect of historical rail traffic on the remaining fatigue life of riveted bridges in the UK. In this study, three types of load models, based on realistic trains, accounting for differences in rail traffic composition, were developed and subsequently used to investigate their effect on the accumulation of fatigue damage in typical old metallic bridge structures. The overall findings showed that the increase in train axle loads from 1900 to 2010 is the main attributor to the significant increase in fatigue damage caused from modern trains compared with the residual fatigue damage from historical trains. These findings are particularly relevant to the majority of existing metallic rail bridges on the rail network, which have a span length of less than 10 m. The findings show the importance of considering the effects of historical loading for more reliable fatigue assessment purposes, leading towards more efficient planning of bridge maintenance and renewal programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flows are a mountain hazard and present a risk to bridges in mountainous areas. Designers of modern bridges are able to consider loads related to debris flows but the designs for historical arch bridges lack this possibility. Although historical arch bridges still form a substantial amount of the total number of bridges in mountainous areas, most research investigations for this bridge type have considered vertical loadings; a few studies consider horizontal longitudinal loads but there are no reported investigations into horizontal transversal loads, which is the debris load direction. The research reported in this paper investigated, firstly, the impact force of debris flows against solid structures in terms of miniaturised laboratory tests. A variety of debris parameters was systematically investigated and an impact-force relationship was developed. Secondly, different horizontal transversal impacts on a slightly miniaturised arch were carried out in the laboratory. The behaviour of the arch under this loading was examined using different measurement techniques. Finally, both test results were combined in order to describe the behaviour of arch bridges under such debris flow impacts. Recommendations for engineers are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural elements in cable-stayed bridge decks can undergo large deflections under load or may be required to control the internal forces of a specific cable. The displacement must be restored and/or the cable force must be controlled and limited according to the desired target. The control of nodal displacements and internal bar forces of cable-stayed bridge structures is presented theoretically and experimentally in this paper through the use of a relatively simple and direct method, which involves calculating the required length actuations within a single formulation. The technique of multi-iteration adjustment is also presented, which is an effective way of eliminating or minimising errors that can occur in the practical adjustment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge structures are an important part of the UK transportation network. They are also experiencing increasing rates of deterioration due to the increasing traffic volume and load intensity. Available bridge models have many restrictions due to the assumptions of the analytical method used and the means by which the model states are defined to represent the condition of the structure. These models also lack the complexity to allow detailed maintenance and renewal options to be explored. This paper presents a bridge model developed based on the Petri net (PN) approach. The method allows for detailed modelling of the individual components in the structure whilst maintaining the size of the analytical problem to a manageable size and resulting in an efficient analysis. The bridge model is formed from sub-models of each of the bridge components and takes into consideration the component deterioration process, the interaction and dependency between different component deterioration processes, along with the inspection and maintenance processes. The model states are defined based on actual degraded component conditions which they experience. It is therefore easy to relate these to the appropriate maintenance options. This gives a considerable advantage over those models based on the condition scores or ratings. The state residence times between changes in state resulting from deterioration and maintenance are governed by appropriate Weibull distributions. Thus, avoiding the restriction of constant failure rates used in Markov approaches which are rarely appropriate to model deteriorating asset conditions. The application of the model is demonstrated on a typical bridge structure where the PN model is solved using Monte Carlo simulation, the model results are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of a large infrastructure project is primarily measured from the way it is brought into use. The Heathrow Terminal 5 construction was considered to be a very successful project in the way it was delivered; however, it is remembered unfortunately for the serious operational issues that occurred in the first few days of use by staff and passengers. The East London line railway project, UK was a £1 billion investment by Transport for London to add a fifth line to the already existing London Overground system that Transport for London created in 2007. This paper addresses how the TfL project team used system engineering principles drawn from international industry standards with the objective to plan, define, deliver, commission, assure and transfer into successful operations and maintenance. It concludes from the successful delivery of the resulting project that system engineering principles should be used throughout such a project to ensure there is proper control through the project life cycle and provide certainty of outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The £500 million East London railway works contract in the UK includes the design and construction of a series of underline bridge structures, carrying the upgraded and extended railway between the refurbished Kingsland viaduct at its northern end and the former Great Eastern railway. One of these is Shoreditch High Street Bridge, a bowstring arch bridge forming a landmark where a new section of the railway crosses Shoreditch High Street just north-east of the City of London. It is an unusual form of railway bridge, chosen primarily for its appearance, having solid round bar hangers and no bracing between arch ribs above deck level. The East London railway Balfour Beatty-Carillion joint venture directed the design and constructed the bridge, while the bridge design was undertaken by URS. This paper describes the design and construction of Shoreditch High Street Bridge, highlighting some of the more unusual features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is constant pressure for the civil engineering industry to keep improving its cost efficiency. In the meantime, the industry has to operate within an increasingly stringent policy and regulatory environment, more recently driven by the growing commitment to sustainable development. To overcome these challenges often requires more effective collaboration between professionals from different disciplines and wider stakeholder engagement in general. This paper focuses on the bridge engineering sector in the UK and identifies the main areas for improvement in the project delivery process, especially where effective collaboration can play a significant role. The increasing need for effective engagement of the affected community is highlighted and its implications for practising engineers are discussed. Key factors to enable effective collaboration in practice are then considered, with particular attention given to effective community engagement, after which the benefits of effective collaboration and community engagement are demonstrated by way of examples. Attempts are made to highlight some unique challenges brought about for engineers in practice by the implementation of sustainability principles. Key skills are identified to enable engineers to contribute to more sustainable bridge delivery. In order for their actions to be most effective, the development of applications-oriented, bridge-project-specific, best practice guides is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the debates among 19th-century technologists about the comparative advantages of lattice (truss) bridges versus tubular bridges. The former, which became globally dominant and motivated the development of the I-beam, were designed by U.S. architect and civil engineer Ithiel Town, while the latter were designed by the British engineers William Fairbairn and Robert Stephenson. The competition over the two bridge designs is discussed, as are issues of national and cultural identity in the debate.

Impacts on bridges by road vehicles are a relatively frequent occurrence and can lead to delays for road users, injuries or fatalities for vehicle occupants and in some cases risks of major incidents from derailments on railway lines carried by highway bridges. This paper gives an overview of the scale of the problem in the UK taken from data gathered by Network Rail and the Highways Agency (HA). The primary reasons for bridge-deck strikes are given and a review is undertaken of various industry good practice guides and strategies to prevent or deal with these incidents. The background to the development of the current design and assessment requirements is given, including some research and development projects undertaken by the HA. The design requirements from the Eurocode for accidental actions and an outline of risk methodology being developed in the proposed UK national annex to the Eurocode are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highway structures represent a significant asset that forms an integral part of the UK transport infrastructure. The current programme for the assessment of the load-carrying capacity of virtually all highway bridges in the UK started with the publication of departmental standard BD21 in 1984. A large number of bridges have been assessed as sub-standard during the programme; that is, they have been shown to be theoretically incapable of carrying a 40 t vehicle or an 11$5 t axle load in accordance with the requirements of BD21. There are still a significant number of sub-standard bridges that remain to be strengthened and the potential cost to the UK economy is substantial. The application of a robust assessment regime using an appropriate level of analytical tools would ensure that this investment is well spent to maintain the safety of the highway, avoid disruption to customers and limit environmental impact. It is suggested that rather than the highway assessment programme drawing to a close after over 20 years there is now an important role for assessments in delivering consistent levels of safety and reliability across the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Irwell Valley Bridge in the UK comprises seven steel- concrete composite box girders with a simply supported span of 60$96 m at a skew of 238. It carries the M60 motorway across the River Irwell adjacent to junction 16 and was constructed in 1970. Structural assessment highlighted deficiencies in the shear studs connecting the concrete deck slabs to the steel boxes, steel diaphragms and end cross-bracing. The first of these three deficiencies was addressed through a departure from standards, while the other two deficiencies required strengthening and modification. A means of jacking the boxes for future bearing replacement also needed to be provided. This paper identifies the various ways in which a cost-efficient and buildable design was produced for strengthening of the diaphragms and how detailing problems specific to strengthening a steel box with restricted access were overcome. Key to the project was the need to minimise disruption to the highway network and to work within tight programme constraints imposed by the hibernation and roosting requirements of bat colonies living within the bridge. The motorway was therefore kept open during jacking operations and multiple boxes were strengthened simultaneously. Due to the complexity of the construction sequence for the strengthening work, a virtual reality model of the bridge and all stages of strengthening was set up and distributed to all parties. The benefits of using this model to assist both design and work on site are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At White City in west London, the Hammersmith and City line runs on a high-level brick arch viaduct that crosses over both Wood Lane and the eastbound Central line. As part of the White City development, a section of this viaduct was removed and replaced with a new twin-track highly skewed bridge. This comprised a halfthrough bridge formed from three principal steel girders with connecting cross-beams and concrete infill. The deck was built off line, then slid into position during a four-day possession of the Hammersmith and City line, requiring part of the existing viaduct to be demolished; the Central line below remained open throughout. The piled substructure was constructed within the constraints of the existing viaduct arches. The existing early 1930s steel bridge deck over Wood Lane was strengthened in advance to provide new bearing positions. During the possession it was truncated by 2 m and supported on new piers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Eurocodes on real projects in the UK highways sector is nearing reality. National Annexes for all the parts required for bridge design are nearing completion and should be ready by the end of 2007. The Highways Agency and British Standards Institution (BSI) committees are completing production of BSI Published Documents to give non-contradictory complementary information to help with the use of the Eurocodes and a variety of organisations are producing design guides. Despite the cultural and technical changes that the Eurocodes bring, pilot studies have shown that designers adapt remarkably quickly. There are also incentives to embrace the Eurocodes. The less prescriptive approach and more up-to-date rules provide the user with greater scope for innovation and economy. This paper identifies the various areas in steel and concrete design where there are technical differences between the new Eurocodes and BS 5400 and also where the new rules lead to the potential for greater structural economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyde Lane Bridge is an early example of the British Rail western steel box girder bridge. It comprises two external and one central box girder supporting two tracks via a cross-girder and steel plate deck. The steel deck plate forms the top flange to the cross-girders and is curtailed towards the cross girder ends. The cross-girders' ends exhibited cracking commencing at the point of the top flange curtailment and continuing through the web. The cracking is unusual as it appears to have been caused by an excessive stress range in compression promoted by the rapid change in section at the point of top flange curtailment. The paper deals with the analysis of the deck, the emergency works and the design and implementation of the remedial works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jamestown Viaduct is a six-span railway viaduct constructed between 1887 and 1890 in Scotland, UK. The four main spans are of early steel construction, supported by masonry piers and abutments. Each of the steel spans comprises two simply supported main truss girders with cross-girders supported on the top chords at truss nodes with rail bearers and steel deck plates supporting ballasted track. The structure is Grade B listed. Previous structural assessments had shown that the viaduct did not meet Network Rail's requirements in terms of live load-carrying capacity. A design competition was used by Network Rail and Mowlem (now part of Carillion plc) to choose an outline design for strengthening. This paper describes the unique solution proposed and developed by Corus to take advantage of an eight-day possession for maintenance work on the nearby Forth Bridge. The work involved removal of the track and construction of an in situ reinforced concrete slab at deck level designed to act compositely with the existing truss girder top chords and cross-girders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of a study based on the design and construction of the two bridges, 194m long A500 railway bridge and the 63m long New Relley bridge in Great Britain. It also examines the different launching techniques used in the construction and the construction components such as steel. The construction type of both the bridges has proved effective for road-over-rail bridges with certain peculiarities.

The article discusses issues involved in the optimisation of the performance of stress-laminated timber arch (SLTA) structures by utilising the strength properties of timber in an arching action for use as vehicle and pedestrian bridges. Apart from having a very high sustainability value, timber structures are low cost and employs less early capital. These The article details the construction and compares the analysis, design and load testing of the latest 20 m span full-scale SLTA test bridge at the Glentress Forestry Commission site near Peebles, designed and constructed in August 2004. The extensive testing programme, augmented by analytical work, aims to develop reliable design guidelines for arch structures using softwood in Great Britain.

This article presents abstracts of various papers published by the Institution of Civil Engineers. According to the paper "Design and Construction of Tongwamen Bridge, China," Tongwamen bridge is a half-through, concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) X-type arch bridge with deck width to span ratio of 1/23.8.It is the first time that arch ribs of the plane truss type have been used in the construction of a long-span CFST bridge in China. According to the paper "Design of the New Medway Bridge, England," the New Medway Bridge comprises 12 continuous spans of twin-cell box girder with an overall length of 953 m and, at 152.4 m has the longest externally post-tensioned span in Great Britain.

This article focuses on a continuing research programme intended for the development of generally applicable assessment procedures for masonry arch bridges, for which the assumptions and assessment results can be justified by experimental observations. The assessment of masonry arch bridges is a topic of great importance in Great Britain, where estimates of the population range from 30,000 to 50,000 bridges. Five different bridges in and near Dublin were selected for testing. Killeen Road Bridge has an arch ring constructed of limestone on the face and in the barrel, with joints about 1 cm thick.

This article reports that the Newark Dyke bridge carries two railway tracks, for trains with speeds up to 225 km/h, across the River Trent in Great Britain. The concrete deck slab spans longitudinally between composite cross-girders at 2.82 meter spacing, which are supported by two steel bowstring trusses at 11.25 m spacing, spanning 77 m. Composite longitudinal stringers are provided under each track. The deck is also composite with the steel tie member of each truss. The design ultimate load for maximum tension in each tie is symmetrical about the longitudinal and transverse centrelines of the bridge, so only the north-western quarter of the bridge was analysed, with deck members, and only this loading was used. At midspan the total tensile force at deck level is about 36 MN, of which 7 MN is resisted by each steel tie.

This article reports that in June/July 2000, shortly after the opening of the London Millennium Bridge in Great Britain, experiments were undertaken on a full-scale section model built to represent a footbridge swaying under pedestrian action in Great Britain. The processes of human-structure interaction and the phenomenon of phase synchronization were investigated. Various instabilities were observed using 3D motion capture equipment, and lateral forces were inferred from the dynamic response of the rig. The first lateral mode of the central span of the Millennium Bridge was simulated by creating a three-bar linkage. The diagonal bars represented the cables and the central rigid body the deck. The bridge deck was assumed to contribute little to the lateral stiffness: thus all stiffness of the model was provided by gravity. The dimensions of the mechanism were obtained from sketches and photographs of the full-scale structure.

The author reflects on the importance of railway bridges for transporting loads to one another place in Great Britain. He asserts that the construction of bridges must be built in concrete materials to strengthen its construction design. He further explains some things to consider in building the bridges.

The article provides information on reports included in this issue on construction of footbridges in Great Britain. In recent years there has been a step change in thinking and a realization to the impact footbridges can have on people's well being. For a long period of time, cities and towns were laid out on the basis of the car, often to the exclusion of those wishing to walk or cycle, and certainly not offering any encouragement to do so. People want cities to be places for people, built and maintained on the principle that people come first. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is one of the many examples of catalysts for transformation.