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Forth Bridge

Forth Rail Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

Bridge Documented: May 8, 2018

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Bridge Documentation

Disclaimer: Generated with the aid of ChatGPT AI, the below narrative is based on sources (sources used are available for download below) provided by Nathan Holth and crafted to align with his research and passion for historic bridges.

The Forth Railway Bridge: A Masterpiece of 19th-Century Engineering

Introduction

The Forth Railway Bridge, spanning the Firth of Forth in Scotland, stands as a monument to Victorian-era engineering ingenuity. Opened in 1890, it was the longest cantilever bridge in the world at the time and remains one of the most iconic structures in global bridge engineering. The bridge is a marvel of structural stability, innovative use of materials, and a testament to Scotland’s role in industrial and technological advancements.

Historical Background

Before the construction of the Forth Railway Bridge, crossing the Firth of Forth was accomplished by ferries, which had operated as early as the 11th century. The expansion of railway networks in 19th-century Scotland created an urgent need for a fixed crossing to connect the eastern Scottish railway system.

In 1873, the first design for a suspension bridge by Sir Thomas Bouch, who had also designed the ill-fated Tay Bridge, was approved. However, following the collapse of the Tay Bridge in 1879, confidence in Bouch’s designs was shattered, and the project was abandoned.

A new competition was held, and the contract was awarded to Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker, who proposed a cantilever bridge that would meet the demands of railway traffic while ensuring safety against extreme wind loads and heavy trains.

Design and Construction

The Forth Railway Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge, meaning that its spans are held up by massive cantilever arms, supported by three major piers. Its distinctive design features three double-cantilever towers, each composed of riveted steel tubes, some up to 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter. This design eliminated the need for suspension cables or multiple intermediate piers, making it suitable for crossing deep waters.

Key Engineering Features

Cantilever Design

The bridge consists of three major double cantilevers, each balanced by large counterweights.

The main spans are 521 meters (1,710 feet) long, making them the longest cantilever spans in the world at the time.

The bridge was engineered to withstand extreme wind forces, incorporating wind loading calculations far beyond what was required at the time.

Material and Construction

Constructed primarily from mild steel rather than wrought iron, making it one of the first large-scale European projects to use steel.

54,000 tons of steel, 21,000 tons of concrete, and 7.5 million rivets were used in its construction.

The piers are anchored in rock below the riverbed using pneumatic caissons, an innovative foundation technique for deep water.

Safety Innovations

The disaster of the Tay Bridge collapse led to stricter engineering standards for the Forth Bridge.

Unlike previous railway bridges, the Forth Bridge was designed with a safety margin more than double that of contemporary bridges.

Construction Challenges

Harsh weather conditions, including strong tidal currents and high winds, made construction challenging.

Workers labored at great heights, and 57 men lost their lives during construction.

The project took seven years (1883–1890) and required a workforce of over 4,000 men.

Historic and Cultural Significance

The Forth Railway Bridge is globally recognized for its engineering innovation. It is considered one of the greatest civil engineering achievements of the 19th century, often compared to other world-famous structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower.

World Heritage Status

In 2015, UNESCO designated the Forth Railway Bridge a World Heritage Site, citing its “outstanding universal value” as one of the most important engineering structures in history. The bridge was recognized under the following criteria:

Criterion (i): A Masterpiece of Human Creative Genius

The bridge represents a pinnacle of engineering creativity and design.

Criterion (ii): Influence on Engineering Worldwide

The Forth Bridge served as a model for cantilever bridges worldwide, influencing future projects in Canada, India, and China.

Criterion (iv): A Landmark in Industrial History

The bridge symbolizes the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution and remains in use today.

Current Condition and Legacy

More than 130 years after its completion, the Forth Bridge remains an essential part of Scotland’s railway network, carrying over 200 trains per day. It has undergone extensive restoration efforts, including a long-term repainting project using modern coatings to prevent corrosion.

The bridge's distinct red color, often described as "Forth Bridge Red," has become part of Scottish cultural identity. It is featured on banknotes, coins, stamps, and remains a major tourist attraction.

The phrase "like painting the Forth Bridge" has even entered the English language as a metaphor for a never-ending task, referencing the bridge’s constant need for maintenance before modern protective coatings were introduced.

Conclusion

The Forth Railway Bridge is more than just a structure—it is a symbol of engineering resilience, human ingenuity, and industrial progress. Its iconic cantilever design, unprecedented use of steel, and lasting functionality make it one of the most remarkable bridges in the world. Whether viewed from afar or traversed by train, it remains an enduring testament to the brilliance of Victorian engineering.

About This Bridge

The Firth of Forth in Scotland is a unique location- perhaps one of the only locations in the world where three centuries of large-scale bridge design and construction can be seen side by side. Here, three parallel bridges cross the Firth of Forth: the 1890 Forth Rail Bridge, the 1964 Forth Road Bridge, and the 2017 Queensferry Crossing.

The Forth Rail Bridge is a steel cantilever through truss, and one of a small number of bridges in the world to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was awarded in 2015. The UNESCO World Heritage designation not only recognizes the bridge's "outstanding universal value" but also confirms its protection and preservation as a heritage structure. Among the most famous bridges in the world, the Forth Rail Bridge was the longest cantilever truss bridge in the world when it was completed in 1890. The 1917 Quebec Bridge in Canada is the only bridge to have surpassed its span among cantilever truss bridges. Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker designed the Forth Rail Bridge and construction began in 1882. It is unique for its use of massive tubular members and is also one of the first large-scale uses of steel in bridges rather than wrought iron.

The bridge remains in use by trains today, and was fully blasted and repainted for the first time starting in 2002. The Wikipedia article for this bridge makes an interesting comment about the painting: "In 2011, the bridge was covered in a new coating designed to last for 25 years, bringing an end to having painters as a regular part of the maintenance crew. Colin Hardie, of Balfour Beatty Construction, was reported as saying, "For the first time in the bridge's history there will be no painters required on the bridge. Job done..." -Colin Hardie, BBC News article, 5 September 2011" Colin may have been a little overly optimistic on the qualities of modern paint systems. Careful observers of HistoricBridges.org's enormous photo gallery for this bridge may discover areas where the top paint layer is peeling. Additionally, there are some isolated areas of rust forming. This may not mean the paint system is faulty, however this is a large bridge in a tough marine environment. Most certainly, the painters who were dismissed from the bridge may need to be called back on occasion over the 25 year life of the paint system for spot painting.

Additional Resources

View Historical Paper About This Bridge By Benjamin Baker

View Detailed Historical Article About Bridge (Alternate Reprinted Edition)

View Archived List of Workers Killed During Construction (Taken From Defunct Forth Bridge Memorial Committee Website)

View Historical Book About Bridge (Alternate Older Edition)

View Historical Biography of John Fowler

View UNESCO World Heritage Nomination

 

Official Heritage Listing Information and Findings Listed At: Category A Discussion: List Entry Number: LB40370 and LB9977 Description: Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, 1883-90 (designed and tendered for in 1882); Tancred, Arrol and Co, contractors; Joseph Philips, contractor. 2.5 kilometre, painted steel, cantilever railway bridge crossing the Firth of Forth on N/S axis, linking the counties of Edinburgh and Fife. 3 giant, cross-braced, steel tower structures. Each tower counterbalances 2 arms on either side to provide 2 full cantilevered spans (each being 521 metres long with a 107 metre suspended span truss to centre) and 2 half outer spans. Each tower structure is set on 4 circular-plan granite and concrete piers. Piers to S on sea-bed; central piers on shelf of rock beside Inchgarvie (Dalmeny Parish); piers to N on promontory at North Queensferry. Superstructure flanked by approach viaducts supported (45 metres above water level) by tapering, rectangular-plan masonry piers. 5 piers to N with 3 masonry arches adjoining promontory at North Queensferry; 10 piers to S with 4 masonry arches adjoining promontory at South Queensferry. Trains pass through round-arch masonry portals at innermost piers, marking start of cantilever superstructure. Thomas Bouch, 1879. Brick pier remnant at Inchgarvie rock, surmounted by early 20th century cast-iron leading light with sectional lantern, bracketed gallery and diamond-paned glazing. Statement of Special Interest A-group with 'Jamestown, Forth Bridge, North Approach Railway Viaduct' and 'Hope Street, Forth Bridge Approach Railway, Truss Bridge' (see separate listings). The internationally acclaimed Forth (Railway) Bridge is one of the most ambitious and successful engineering achievements of the 19th century. On completion it achieved the longest bridge spans in the world and was the largest steel structure, pioneering the wide-spread adoption of steel in bridge construction. With its distinctive cantilevered design, the Forth Bridge is Scotland's most instantly recognisable industrial landmark. It has become a symbol of national identity in much the same way as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The construction challenge posed by the Forth Bridge was immense. It took a five thousand strong workforce seven years to build it using more than fifty thousand tonnes of Siemens-Martin open-hearth steel and 8 million rivets. The bridge was first built in sections, on land, before being dissassembled and sent out on boats for re-erection at the bridge site. The towers rise from massive granite piers, the underwater foundations of which were constructed using 21m wide, submersible wrought-iron cylinders called caissons. The ciassons were carefully positioned on the sea bed before being filled with concrete. Numerous innovations by the principal contractor William Arrol (knighted 1890) included his hydraulic spade and riveting machines, allowing construction to advance at an extraordinary rate considering the scale and complexity of the project. As far as possible, the bridge design utilises natural features including the promontories and high banks at North and South Queensferry and the small outcrop of rock, Inchgarvie in the middle of the Firth. A bridge crossing the Firth of Forth was first proposed in 1818 by Edinburgh civil engineer, James Anderson. Some engineers believed a tunnel would be a better solution and it was not until 1873 that the Forth Bridge Company was founded. The first contract was given to Thomas Bouch who designed a bridge modelled on his design for the Tay Bridge. However, after the Tay Bridge disaster of 28th December 1879, when high winds blew down the high central girders and around 75 lives were lost, the company felt it would be wiser to employ a completely new design. One brick pier of Bouch's abandoned scheme sits beneath the bridge at Inchgarvie rock - its physical survival contributing to the wider story of the bridge. John Fowler (knighted 1885) and his colleague Benjamin Baker (knighted 1890) received the new commission. Fowler's background in railway engineering was distinguished having previously designed the first railway bridge across the Thames in 1860, St Enoch's station in Glasgow, and he was a principal engineer of the London Underground system. In preparation for the Forth Bridge, Benjamin Baker conducted experiments on wind pressure using a set of gauges that he installed on the Forth shoreline. Their innovative cantilever design allowed spans nearly four times larger than any railway bridge previously built and it remains the world's longest bridge built on the cantilever principle. Construction was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1883 and the bridge opened seven years later, on 4th March 1890, with Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, inserting a final inscribed gold plated rivet. The bridge has been in continuous use since then with around 200 trains passing over it each day (2013). The bridge is known for its distinctive paint colour, called Forth Bridge Red. 7000 gallons of paint are required to cover the surface. Similar in shade to iron oxide, the colour helps to disguise areas prone to rust. The act of painting the bridge is used in conversation to refer to any task that appears to be never ending. Between 2002 and 2011, all earlier coats of paint were removed and a new hard-wearing coating system was applied. The new paint coating, originally developed for North Sea oil rigs, is expected to last for at least 20 years. The bridge is included on the statutory list twice, both in the City of Edinburgh and Fife Council areas. List description updated at resurvey in 2003/4, and in 2013. Bibliography Original plans National Archives of Scotland. F H Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer Of Scotland Vol. Vi (1885), p232. W Westhofen, The Forth Bridge Centenary Edition (1989) first published as a supplement to Engineering Magazine on 28th February 1890. Third Statistical Account Of Scotland Vol.Xxi (1952), p233. C McWilliam, Buildings Of Scotland - Lothian (1980), pp435-6. S Mackay, The Forth Bridge - A Picture History (1990). C McKean, Edinburgh - An Illustrated Guide (1992), p167. A Menges (Ed), John Fowler & Benjamin Baker: Forth Bridge (1997). Network Rail website, www.networkrail.co.uk/VirtualArchive/forth-bridge/ (accessed 2013). North Approach Railway Viaduct, Listing LB49652: Description Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, 1883-1890; Louis Nelville, engineer for Tancred, Arrol and Co and Joseph Philips, contractors. Mild steel and masonry railway viaduct. Masonry abutments of square snecked rubble with band course above eliptical arches (23 metre span) at either end; 4 spans of mild steel box girders formed with raking vertical struts and light lattice steel parapet above (each steel span 30 metres long) resting on 4 masonry piers of squared and snecked bullfaced rubble set at 25 degree angles to the centre line; whole of viaduct on curve with gradient of 1 in 70. Statement of Special Interest A-group with 'Forth Bridge' and 'Hope Street, Forth Bridge Approach Railway, Truss Bridge' (see separate listings). This viaduct was erected by the Forth Bridge Railway Company as a component of the North Approach Railway, built in association with the Forth Bridge (see separate listing). The North Approach Railway is just over 3 kilometres in length commencing from the abutment at the north end of the Forth Bridge and terminating at Inverkeithing at the former junction with the North British Railway. Like the Forth Bridge itself, this viaduct demonstrates an early large-scale use of open-hearth steel.

Photo Galleries and Videos: Forth Bridge

 

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A collection of overview photos that show the bridge as a whole and general areas of the bridge. This gallery features data-friendly, fast-loading photos in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
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Structure Details

Mobile Optimized Photos
A collection of detail photos that document the parts, construction, and condition of the bridge. This gallery features data-friendly, fast-loading photos in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
Alternatively, Browse Without Using Viewer

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