The British Isles did not have an adequate supply of charcoal even in the 18 th century for example, 70 wt % (from now on %) of its iron was imported from Russia and Sweden in 1770 (Ågren 1998). From the metallurgical side, Abraham Darby's use of coke for pig iron production in 1709 represents an important step forward in allowing the construction of the Iron Bridge and for the rapid rise of the British steel industry (Cossons and Trinder 1979). Perhaps both contributed in tandem, multiplying their influence synergistically. Some argue that the completion of this bridge was the critical event for the Industrial Revolution, while others contend that Watt's steam engine in 1784 was the main impetus. It seems certain that this is the oldest iron arch bridge (Kostof 1985). Common knowledge for engineers and historians includes the famous Iron Bridge in England, completed in 1779 (see Figure 1, reproduced from Nicholson 1829). Bridges are naturally of large scale, and iron and steels have been used as the principal components since antiquity. Introduction This chapter considers metallurgical developments that are related to bridge design and construction.
We examine their roles and applications starting from ancient chain bridges of wrought iron, cast iron, and steel arch bridges, iron and steel truss bridges, wires and cables, and finally to spectacular long-span suspension and dazzling cable-stayed bridges. Because of availability and cost, iron and steel have played the central role. This chapter examines metallurgical developments related to bridge construction.
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