• Question: How many bridges have you built

    Asked by ElliottF to Rob on 7 Jun 2021.
    • Photo: Rob Gilbert

      Rob Gilbert answered on 7 Jun 2021:

      Zero! As a designer I do the calculations and drawings for bridges and then a ‘Contractor’ (person or company) do the actual construction work. Sometimes I do go on site and help inspect or supervise the work to make sure they are built correctly.

      I have designed many other bridges at ‘Structures Options’ stage. This is when we are investigating different types of bridge for a project and assessing which is best from a cost, safety, environmental, construction, aesthetic, function point of view.

Comments

  • Photo: Hannah

    Hannah commented on :

    I built a bridge out of balsa wood once for a project at university, does that count? 😛 I remember we had a competition and it had to withstand a lot of weight but also use the least material. Ours didn’t win because it used quite a lot of material but it did withstand a lot of weight, like 3kg or something.
    The principle they were teaching was that materials are very expensive, so Engineers try to use as little as possible, whilst still making sure the structure is safe. To do this, they can use stronger shapes that withstand and distribute forces better – like triangles.

  • Photo: Sam

    Sam commented on :

    I have only built two permanent bridges; one in Wrexham, Wales for a Waste Water Treatment Facility and one in Dubai for a motorway bridge.

    Bridges are super interesting as it is much harder to support the bridge during construction than in the final position. Sometimes we launch bridges from one end so it has to support the entire span before landing and sometimes we have to lift them in. When you lift them, the bend in a different way and we have to design for every stage of construction very carefully.