The process of modern bridge construction demands expert engineering skills, creative ideas and visual flair. Today’s bridge designers take advantage of new developments in construction techniques and materials to build slimmer, lighter, more crafted and aesthetic structures that can transform our experience of a place.

Buro Happold is among the acknowledged leaders in the bridge design sector. We have considerable experience in the field and have completed projects for local authorities, private developers, contractors and architects in the UK and in countries such as the USA, Italy, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

Our experience covers light span pedestrian bridges, steel and concrete highway bridges, light rail bridges and viaducts, and moveable bridges over water. Many of our most innovative designs are for footbridges, which due to their frequent use have a big impact on the local urban and social environment on both a macro and micro level.

On every project our aim is to produce an elegant and economical solution that is practical to construct. To ensure the bridge is structurally robust, we carefully analyse its dynamic response to stresses such as vibration and torsion, as well as looking at the potential effects of the weather and salt corrosion.

New bridge design is dictated as much by the conditions of the site as by regulatory and planning approvals. Bridges can be part of urban regeneration schemes or can span rivers and valleys to bring separated communities together. In all cases there may be natural or man-made obstacles to overcome and an array of infrastructure issues.

To arrive at an integrated solution, Buro Happold draws on a range of specialist skills including ground engineering, environmental and transport planning, urban design and site infrastructure. Working closely with the building contractors, we combine expertise in special structures with wide knowledge of current US, European and UK standards.