Extending the Life

Cass Hayward has been heavily involved in assessment and upgrading of Britain’s Victorian railway bridge stock. We were commissioned by Network Rail to prepare their Underbridge Assessment Code of Practice NR/GN/CIV/025 and this involved us in design research and some laboratory testing to support our drafting of clauses for the document. We have been engaged to undertake special assessments and design strengthening for a significant number of major bridges most prominent recently including Ouseburn Viaduct in Newcastle. We were engaged for peer review and design checking of the extensive strengthening of Newcastle High Level Bridge.

For twenty years we have been regularly involved in design of upgrading works for the nine remaining Timber Railway Viaducts on the Cambrian Lines in Wales including Barmouth Viaduct and this experience has involved us in developing an asset management strategy for these special structures. We have undertaken commissions throughout the UK network related to refurbishment and strengthening of railway structures in all materials including cast iron, wrought iron, steel, timber and concrete. This has included special fatigue analysis for damaged metal girders at a number of sites, laboratory testing of samples and full scale load testing using a locomotive.