Independent report

Hammersmith Bridge: engineering reports

Reviews by AECOM and the University of Cambridge's Professor Fleck of the modelling and analysis taken of Hammersmith Bridge by other engineering consultants.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 10 December 2020

Documents

Hammersmith Bridge – Review of recent engineering documents and summary of existing condition by AECOM

PDF, 4.19 MB, 81 pages

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Hammersmith Bridge – Review of the condition of the cast iron pedestals and others’ analysis by Professor Fleck of the University of Cambridge

PDF, 601 KB, 7 pages

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Details

In 2019, a detailed inspection of Hammersmith Bridge’s cast iron pedestals, which support the suspension chains, identified cracks in 3 of them, so it was closed to all motorised traffic and an acoustic monitoring system installed.

A case for continued safe operation (CCSO) was also prepared, which allowed the bridge to remain open to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic beneath it.

During hot weather in August 2020, the monitoring system detected an ‘event’ so the bridge was closed to all traffic.

In September 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned consultants AECOM to review the recent engineering studies of the bridge’s condition. AECOM conclude that our understanding of the bridge’s behaviour has improved considerably since the CCSO was written and recommend that it is revisited, alongside 15 other recommendations.

At the same time, the DfT commissioned Professor Norman Fleck of the University of Camridge – an expert in fracture mechanics – to review recent analysis and reports on the bridge, and comment on the condition of the pedestals.

Published 10 December 2020