Clyde closed!

[codprawn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7207693.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7188577.stm

"A crack has been found on Glasgow's Clyde Arc bridge just over a week after a support cable snapped.
The £20m crossing, known locally as the Squinty Bridge, was closed while repairs were ongoing and the crack was found during an inspection.
It is expected that it will be closed for six months, rather than a couple of weeks as had been initially anticipated by engineers.
The River Clyde has now also been shut to all traffic travelling below it."

It amazes me how they manage to get things so wrong these days considering all the "improvements" in technology such as CAD and computer simulation etc. They also managed to cock up the Millenium bridge over the Thames - apparently people causing a bridge to sway was an unknown problem even though IKB took it into account when he built the Clifton bridge.

Our local sea defences have suffered some serious damage recently which has been put down to global warming - funny how the Victorian sea walls are still fine............

[jwalker]

Too much emphasis on styling and not enough on function. It's the modern way. Ribs are suffering from it too.

[codprawn]

It also worries me that they are buliding these "pretty" bridges across rivers and cutting off most navigation rights. They have built a fancy footbridge across the river in Swansea and now the council are talking of introducing a waterbus service - slight problem - it won't fit!!!

[jwalker]

I've just heard on the evening news that the squinty bridge cost umpteen million pounds to build.

[alystra]

Originally Posted by codprawn

It also worries me that they are buliding these "pretty" bridges across rivers and cutting off most navigation rights. They have built a fancy footbridge across the river in Swansea and now the council are talking of introducing a waterbus service - slight problem - it won't fit!!!

Yeah. Trouble is, I don't think we have a 'right of navigation' any more. I recall that right was recinded to allow the M6 to be built over the Lancaster Canal without having to build a hill. Hardly anyone noticed at the time.

Re. the bridge. From the quick glance the camera gave us at the time, I thought I saw that one of the lugs that holds the cable up had fractured, right through the hole for the shackle pin. Crap steel or engineering? I wonder if we can still make such things in the UK now that our heavy engineering and steel making plants have been removed to make way for shopping malls. Perhaps the lugs were made in China?

[codprawn]

I think our last proper engineer died a few years ago - good old Fred Dibnah!!! Yes I know he was a steeplejack but he mucked around with steam engines as well.......

[Bigmuz7]

Theres fook all navigable beyond the bridge anyway, about 500 yds of river then a wier