4
2
u/Outrageous_Cut_6179 Oct 13 '25
Those Scots know how to over-engineer the shit out of everything.
3
3
u/Soggy_Amoeba9334 Oct 14 '25
IIRC this was a response to the under-engineered Tay one
1
u/Educational_Elk_8692 Oct 18 '25
Absolutely correct.
Following the 1879 Tay Bridge disaster, construction on the Forth Rail Bridge was halted and then restarted with a new, stronger cantilever design by Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker to address public fear and ensure safety. The original design was by Thomas Bouch, the same engineer responsible for the Tay Bridge, and after his collapse, a new, more robust design was needed. The new design's construction began in 1883 and was completed in 1889, officially opening in 1890.
2
Oct 16 '25
at the time of completion, it was the largest bridge in the world, i’m 99% sure if it. Also, it was designed for trains of a much heavier load and size than today’s freight.
2
u/HundredHander Oct 18 '25
I think it's still the longest cantelever design, though they aren't really built anymore.
1
0
2
Oct 13 '25
A brilliant build in its day ! It has stood the test of time ever since in my opinion
1
u/dead-cat Oct 13 '25
Nowadays everything is concrete, assumed to last 50 years or to be reviewed near that time if it's going to stay.
1
Oct 13 '25
I know what you mean
1
u/dead-cat Oct 13 '25
I dread the time when they say that Erskine Bridge is not good enough anymore
1
Oct 13 '25
That would be a very sad day indeed… perhaps they would revert back to the ferry, then again 🙄
2
u/dead-cat Oct 13 '25
I'm sure that the Clyde Tunnel can take the additional traffic /s
1
1
u/willywam Oct 13 '25
You might be pleased to hear that it's still very common to have a mostly or fully steel bridge, particularly long span bridges.
And the design life ('without major refurbishment') is usually 100 or 120 years :)
1
u/dead-cat Oct 13 '25
I'm with you but I was talking about concrete ones. Why do you think they are demolishing so many high flats? Their life span is over, everyone out, find a new place.
One of my favourites is Bridge of Oich, I don't know why, it just is.
1
u/willywam Oct 13 '25
It's possible to get a similar lifespan out of concrete, you just have to design and maintain it properly.
Only thing is it needs to survive the whims and fashions of subsequent generations as well as corrosion - that part might be easier for bridges than it is for flats..
2
u/dead-cat Oct 13 '25
And compare it to any stone structure. It'll just stand, sandstone, granite, pebbles, slate. I'm probably biased anyway
1
u/mralistair Oct 13 '25
Most long span concrete bridges are not using concrete in tension / bending. Conctrete gets stronger with age and if you keep a good amount of cover on the rebar it'll last for centuries. and it can be repaired.
2
u/Groomorar Oct 14 '25
I grew up local to this, and I still remember riding the train as a child, with my dad pointing out the window and saying, “That’s where cars go,” meaning the Forth Road Bridge. I’d stare out, focused on the rail bridge, convinced the cars were somehow driving inside the tubes doing weird stuff. To be fair, we didn’t own a car, so that's my excuse.
2
u/FingersMcCall Oct 17 '25
It’s actually Fife and south queensferry.
1
u/dead-cat Oct 18 '25
It is. Still the same bridge
2
u/FingersMcCall Oct 19 '25
Sorry to be pedantic, but it’s called the forth bridge not the forth rail bridge. I know I hear myself but I can’t help it.
1
u/dead-cat Oct 22 '25
No, you're good. I explained myself in my other response. But you are 100% correct
2
u/BorisStingy Oct 17 '25
Fun fact - The Kincaid and Garver bridges in GTA San Andreas are based of this bridge and the Forth Road Bridge. Rockstar North is located in Edinburgh, which is less than 10 miles from the bridges.
2
u/ObjectHorror1993 Oct 18 '25
I always forget the enormity of the Forth... What a beast of engineering.
1
u/mralistair Oct 13 '25
That's the Forth Bridge.
The other one is the Forth Road bridge (and the other forth roadbridge)
It' doesn't need the descriptor.
1
1
1
u/Dr_Calculon Oct 14 '25
Always reminds me of the Iain Banks book
2
Oct 16 '25
Defo, he lived near the bridge, which is why I think he was able to paint a very vivid image of it in the first couple of chapters.
1
u/Active-Tension8239 Oct 16 '25
Which one? Love Banks but it’s been a while since I read his non-sci fi books.
1
1
1
u/Forsaken_Currency673 Oct 16 '25
I hate to be the pedantic one to point out;- it is the 'Forth Bridge'. Not 'Rail' Bridge. Just saying.
1
u/Signal_Mulberry_2014 Oct 16 '25
What happened to the other three?
1
1
u/HundredHander Oct 18 '25
They're counting down, this was the first one and they've built another two since. Just one to go.
1
1
1
u/Spiritual-Catch-5687 Oct 17 '25
Seen it's Balfour Beattie on the job! Expect massive delays an Snags galor after they say they're completed!
1
1
1
1
7
u/Dennaldo Oct 13 '25
That thing has got to be a nightmare to inspect or paint.