Publisher's Synopsis
Masonry arch bridges are an important part of the British road and rail network. There are for instance, about 40,000 road bridges, about 40% of Britain's total bridge stock. The amount of traffic they are now called on to carry has increased enormously since they were built, as has the weight of some of that traffic. Although these bridges have been in existence for thousands of years, research on their structural behaviour is still being carried out and new analytical techniques are being developed.;New arch bridges are also being built - this requires the designers and builders to relearn old technologies, and to meet the design requirements of the present day. This "TRL State of the Art Review" is a contribution towards ensuring that arch bridges continue to serve their purpose, and is for both the student who is learning about arch bridges for the first time, and also for the practising engineer who needs guidance on assessing their load capacity and in what to do if they need to be repaired or strengthened.
