Aspects of Bridges
Several members have written about bridges, with particular interest in the new Millennium Bridge. First, however, something about a very much older bridge. Mr D.
J. Yendall, writing from Stockton-on-Tees, has entitled his contribution ‘Rainbow bridges: missing the boat’:
I must congratulate Channel 4 for its recent programme ‘Mysteries of Lost Empires’ (screened on 22 June 2000) on what was a thought-provoking and informative insight into
ancient Chinese bridge-building. The concept of timber pinned arches constructed with readily available materials and labour, with straight pieces of timber, to form a simple, elegant and rapid solution to crossing busy canal networks to form an arched bridge without disruption demonstrated that the problems facing modern engineers are nothing new.