Mike Ryall-Bridge Management 2nd Edition Butterworth Heinemann 2009


Preface to the First Edition

The management of bridges is a fascinating and challenging subject. It may

well be that in the early days of bridge construction when masonry was the

prime construction material and the arch was the predominant structural

form, very little thought, if any, was given for ensuring the longevity of

a bridge. Certainly with masonry the general view was that it was virtually

imperishable and – barring an act of God – would last forever. Sadly, we have

learnt by bitter experience that no bridge will last forever and that proper

management contains elements of both a preventive and curative nature to

ensure that a bridge will perform properly over its 120-year nominal life and beyond.




But what are the management tasks and where does one find information

on them? When I first came to write this book the tasks were broadly categorised

as inspection, assessment and repair, and the information was to be

found in conference proceedings; seminar papers; symposia; Highways

Agency advice and design notes; British Standards; articles in professional

magazines; text books; research papers; newspapers and in the minds of

individuals working within the bridge fraternity worldwide. There was clearly

the need to provide some sort of comprehensive reference work that would in

essence bring together all of the tasks encountered in the management

process. A definitive work was out of the question – that would require many

tomes and take a decade to write – but I thought it was possible to produce, if

you like, a guide book which could be of use both to beginners and seasoned

professionals alike.


Bridge Management is the result. It has proven to be a challenging yet

rewarding task and resulted in many a sleepless night and the looking up of

hundreds of references. There is no doubt that many readers will have wished

for either more information on a particular topic or another topic itself, but I

have had to draw the line somewhere, and, as it is, the publishers have

allowed me to extend the number of words and chapters to what I now think

is a useful and manageable volume.


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