Obridge Viaduct
| Bridge Name: | Obridge Viaduct | |||
| No.: | 71 | |||
| Location: | Taunton | |||
| Build Date: | Early 1980’s | |||
| Engineer: | Designed and constructed by Reed & Mallik Ltd and Fairfield Mabey Ltd. | |||
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| Description: | ||||
| Carries the A358. Main beams in weathering steel. Eight spans and length of 303 metres
900mm diameter bored piles support reinforced concrete piers and abutments. The deck consists of two plate girders with a longitudinal stringer on the deck centre-line, supported by transverse frames located every 7m along its length. Part of the Taunton Eastern Relief Road. In addition to the River Tone, the viaduct crosses the railway and the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal ALan Hayward CHIEF ENGINEER FAIRFIELD MABEY March 1979 � February 1983 (4 years) chepstow In charge of design, temporary works, drawing office and fabrication works inspection and testing departments.Instigator of design and construct bridges as alternative more economic bridges than client original designs. Included M25 brook street 10 span viaduct, Obridge Viaduct taunton, Berwick on Tweed Bridge and Grimsby Gilbey Road Viaduct. These projects helped stimulate a resurgance of steel for bridges in the UK after most design engineers had designed in concrete after about 1960. The steel recovery was assisted by the automation of fabrication techniques and better erection procedures. |
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