Bridges touch all our lives
- every day we are likely to cross a bridge or go under one. How many of us stop to consider how the bridge stands up & what sort of people designed & built something so strong? Bridge building is a magnificent example of the practical & every day use of science. However the story of bridges goes beyond science & technology & involves issues relating to artistic & cultural development. After all bridges are built by people for people. Bridges can be icons for whole cities; just consider New Yorks Brooklyn Bridge Londons Tower Bridge & Sydneys Harbour Bridge. Such bridges can be considered functional public art as they have the power to delight or be an eyesore. David Blockley explains how to read a bridge in all its different forms design & construction & the way the forces flow through arches & beams. He combines the engineering of how bridges stand up with the cultural aesthetic & historical importance they hold. Drawing on examples of particular bridges from around the world he also looks in detail at the risk engineers take when building bridges & examines why things sometimes go wrong.