Tag: Thomas Telford

Investigating Dunans Bridge: Checking the underlying structure of our Thomas Telford-designed A-listed structure

This week the bridge is being investigated – carefully, slowly and with due regard for its age, possible infirmaties and status.

Our structural engineer, Steve Wood (David Narro Associates) , Heritage Consolidation, the contractors, our QS Gordon Brown (Brown & Wallace), our Planning advisor, John Paton (Paton Planning & Development) and of course our architect, Robin Kent (Robin Kent Architecture & Conservation), along with the scaffolders had a day working on and planning for the bridge – as well as the rest of the site.

Of course we took lots of photos, see below, and the initial conclusions were very interesting.

In the second trench (this sounds SO like Time Team) we discovered an extraordinary structural indicator that would, if confirmed by historical experts, mean that Thomas Telford did indeed design and build the bridge (there’s no extant paperwork). Needless to say Architect, Structural Engineer, Heritage Consolidation and ScottishLaird are all very, very excited.

We’ll post more via our Lairds and Ladies newsletter later next week!

Tender for the Bridge in hand: We’ve just received the specifications for the first stage of the restoration of Dunans Bridge

Robin Kent, our architect, has just sent over these plans for the first stage of works to the bridge. The works will include two trial pits, with one being dug nearly through the structure. There will be scaffolding to shore up the deeper pit, and there will also be investigations into the construction of the top of the buttress so we can work out how to proceed with them.

This is all very exciting and presages works beginning sometime in August for a week or so, as necessary.

Here’s the plan and the elevation showing where and how the works will be executed (they are copyright Robin Kent Ltd. and may not be reproduced without permission from the architect).

elevbridge-tender planbridge-tender

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