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19-06-09
Stirling’s Forthside Footbridge
Flint & Neill was the Independent Design Checker for the recently opened Forthside pedestrian bridge in Stirling, Scotland. The dramatic inverted fink truss bridge with its warped stay planes provides access across the existing main line station to the new development scheme adjacent to the Forth. Flint & Neill also provided expertise that enabled the aerodynamic design to be verified and completed a detailed erection sequence analysis. The 113m long bridge was designed by Gifford and Wilkinson Eyre and built by BAM Nuttall.
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19-05-2009
Opening Ceremony of the Infinity Bridge in Stockton
Infinty BridgeThe Infinity Bridge (also known as the Stockton Northbank Footbridge) over the River Tees in Stockton has officially been opened. The pedestrian and cycle bridge links an impressive new waterfront development on the Northbank with the Teesdale area of Thornaby and Durham University on the south. In particular, the slender arch provides a striking new feature and is expected to attract significant new investment into the development.
Flint & Neill was appointed by English Partnerships & Stockton Borough Council to undertake the Category III Design Check of this landmark bridge and to oversee wind tunnel testing. The bridge was designed by Expedition Engineering and Spence Associates and built by Balfour Beatty with steelwork fabricated by Cleveland Bridge.
14-05-2009
ACE Engineering Excellence Awards 2009
Flint & Neill have won the ACE Engineering Excellence Award 2009 in the Infrastructure (Small Firm) category for Fabian Way Bridge. Flint & Neill designed the superstructure for this innovative design under a design and build contract for Alun Griffiths Ltd. Substructures were designed by City & County of Swansea and the concept design was developed by Studio Bednarski Ltd and Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd.
The bridge has a 71m span at a skew angle of 65°. The design utilises separate vehicle and pedestrian/cycle decks segregated by a central longitudinal steel spine beam. The spine beam is suspended from eight cables attached to a tapered mast inclined forwards by 22° and supported by two splayed sets of twisted backstays giving the bridge a graceful yet striking appearance. The splayed/twisted backstay arrangement is intended to resemble the appearance of a sail. The design was developed to maximize offsite prefabrication and minimize on site work above the busy A483 dual carriageway.
Read more at ACE
12-05-2009
Samuel Beckett Bridge Nears Completion
Superstructure barge voyage from Rotterdam towards Dublin Construction of the Samuel Beckett Bridge (also known as the Macken Street Bridge) reached a major milestone when the completed superstructure commenced its voyage on a barge from the Hollandia fabrication works in Rotterdam towards Dublin. When complete the bridge will link the north and south inner ring roads across the River Liffey, Dublin, Ireland.
Flint & Neill were engaged by the Client, Dublin City Council, to undertake an independent review of the procurement strategy and are assisting with construction supervision. The bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava and built by Graham Construction in joint venture with steelwork fabricator, Hollandia.
29-04-2009
Long Term Association with Severn Crossing Plc.
Flint & Neill continue their long term association with the M48 Severn Bridge and Severn River Crossing Plc.
Flint & Neill are assisting Severn River Crossing Plc with the future refurbishment of the Wye Bridge - Beachley Viaduct Expansion Joint, and the assessment of the Aust Viaduct underdeck gantry runway beams.
28-04-2009
ACE Engineering Excellence Awards 2009
Fabian Way Bridge;)
Flint & Neill have been shorlisted for an ACE Engineering Excellence award in the Infrastructure (Small Firm)category for Fabian Way Bridge.
ACE Engineering Excellence Awards 2009 read more
24-04-2009
Stonecutters Bridge’s Main Span Joined
The 1018m main span of the Stonecutters Bridge in Hong Kong was joined in the centre in March, completing the structure for one of the world’s longest cable stayed bridges.
The design was originally prepared by Flint & Neill, together with Dissing+Weitling, Halcrow and SMEDI back in 2000, as the winning entry in the international design competition held by the Hong Kong Highways Department. Since then, the detailed design has been carried out by Flint & Neill’s parent company COWI as part of the Arup Group.
Ian Firth, who was part of the original design team, said “It is very exciting that the structure has at last got to this stage, and I am delighted that the finished bridge will look very much as we originally envisaged.” (See the image prepared at the time of the competition.) The bridge is due for completion later this year.
Read more on the Design Competition Win
Read more on the Progress
23-04-2009
New Project: Bidston Moss Viaduct
Flint & Neill has been appointed the independent design checkers for the strengthening of the Bidston Moss Viaduct, a 730m long multi-box girder bridge. The Viaduct was opened in 1970 and is being strengthened extensively to bring it back to current loading standards. The project team is being led by Matthew Cartwright.
15-04-2009
New Project: Fehmarnbelt Crossing
A consortium led by COWI in joint venture with German firm Obermeyer has been selected as consultants for the Fehmarnbelt crossing between Denmark and Germany. The consortium will be responsible for the design of the bridge options for Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link. These options, a cable-stayed and a suspension bridge, will be developed in consultation with the client, Femern Bælt A/S, during the next three years. A second consortium, comsisting of the Danish consultancy Rambøll, Arup and TEC, will also be designing a tunnel solution.
The two consortia will provide their own engineering solutions for this major crossing, requiring transport for both road and rail, competing for the most cost-efficient and the most environmentally and technologically suitable design for the site. Flint & Neill will be working as part of the COWI team on the bridges, particularly the suspension bridge option, and are excited at this opportunity to work closely with their COWI colleagues.
"The project poses major technical challenges because everything about the Fehmarn crossing is both larger and more complex than the Great Belt or Øresund Fixed Links. The cable stayed or suspension bridge itself will be the largest combined road and rail crossing in the world and construction will likely also require some of the largest equipment, such as cranes, yet seen in the world," says Lars Hauge of COWI Denmark.
The two final consortia were selected from an original seven who submitted bids in December 2008. Of these, four opted for a bridge solution and three for a tunnel. Femern Bælt A/S has decided to develop both options to ensure that when the final decision is made in 2012 they can be confident it has been made on a truly holistic basis.
A cable-stayed bridge is the client's preferred choice, but any of the three options could yet be the winner.
"This is a really exciting project and we are delighted to have this great opportunity to work on such a major bridge design so soon after joining the COWI Group," says Ian Firth. "The suspension bridge design will present many challenges, stretching the boundaries of what has previously been built, but is well within our combined capability and experience."
Read More:
COWI Announcement click here
Fehmarn Link Announcement click here
Bridge Design and Engineering click here
04-12-2008
Flint & Neill joins the COWI Group.
COWI and Flint & Neill have already collaborated on major projects such as the Lusail bridges in Qatar After 50 years as an independent private consulting practice providing specialist engineering services for projects all over the world, particularly in relation to bridges, long span structures, tall guyed masts and towers and other complex building structures, Flint & Neill has joined COWI, the leading Danish consulting group.
F&N Partner Ian Firth is upbeat about this new chapter in the firm’s history. “This provides a secure platform on which we can continue to provide the expert and specialist services for which we are already well known, and opens up opportunities for participation in major projects which we could not previously handle alone.”
COWI is well known worldwide for their work on major long span bridges, for example as designers of the Great Belt East Bridge in Denmark, the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden and the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway. By joining COWI, Flint & Neill brings further expertise and experience to the group, similar to that when the Vancouver based consultants Buckland and Taylor joined the Group 10 years ago. Flint & Neill will retain their name and continue to operate after the merger in much the same way as before, continuing to provide the same specialist engineering services to their clients but from an even stronger base and with access to a broader skills resource.
F&N Partners Ian Firth and David MacKenzie will continue to lead the firm, with MacKenzie taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer and Firth continuing as Chief Operating Officer.
In addition, F&N has appointed three new Directors. Long standing staff members Jerry Cutter, John Rees and Paul Sanders will join Firth and MacKenzie to lead the firm and direct their growing workload of projects worldwide.
“The firm has flourished over the last 50 years, establishing itself as one of the world’s leading engineering consultancies” says MacKenzie. “This new relationship with COWI enables us to continue what we already do but with additional capacity, and presents opportunities for growth and diversification.”
“We have always respected the work of COWI, recognising them as one of the world’s great multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies, and have worked with them before to provide independent consultancy services and advice. We are now very excited about the opportunities and challenges ahead as part of this excellent group.”
In addition to bridges, tunnels and other transportation infrastructure projects, COWI also operate in a wide variety of other fields, including marine and offshore structures and environmental consultancy. This range of services now becomes accessible to Flint & Neill, enabling the firm to draw on additional resources and capabilities to better serve their clients.
Visit Cowi
Bridge Design and Engineering click here
14-11-2008
IStructE Structural Awards 08
Flint & Neill & County of Swansea win a Commendation in the Transportation Structures category for Fabian Way Bridge.
Judges Comments '...An iconic cable stayed bridge utilising twisted back stays to give the bridge a striking appearance...'
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