Opinion Book review Review Nick von Behr enjoys this well-illustrated new history of Tower Bridge, covering its construction and life in operation, which will appeal to a broad general audience. KEN POWELL HAS WRITTEN A FASCINATING Sir William Arrol, Scots steelmaster extraordinaire, Tower Bridge: book about the story of London’s Tower Bridge in the who supplied the key building material for the bridge 125th year since it was completed in 1894. and ensured it was properly installed on site by the History, The book goes back in time to provide context contractors. Credit also goes to Sir William Armstrong for the building of the iconic bascule bridge, covers for the hydraulic operating system which raised and Engineering, the construction process in detail, and then moves lowered the bascules rapidly, with no hold-ups, to forward to look at key stories over the last century- accommodate the busy alternating road and river Design and-a-quarter of operations. traffi c of 19th century London. Many visitors are unaware, until they step inside The book will appeal to those general readers who Author: Ken Powell them, that the famous stone towers actually protect a are interested in the basic story of Tower Bridge, so in Publisher: Thames and Hudson vast framework of internal steel columns and beams. this sense it is an architectural update and expansion Price: £24.95 Critics wanted this functional aspect to be more overt on the excellent, shorter book by Honor Godfrey ISBN: 978-0-500-34349-4 in the fi nal bridge, but it is likely Queen Victoria would written more than 30 years ago. not have been amused! The book is aimed at a very broad global audience What was, and still is, unique about Tower Bridge and has plenty of images within it, perhaps too many, is the fact that it is a huge bascule bridge. Sadly, it no so may not suit all of the readership of The Structural longer holds the record for the Engineer. It also doesn’t cover world’s longest bascule span, any particularly new ground from as this was surpassed less than a structural engineering point 20 years after it was built by the of view, unsurprisingly given Broadway Bridge in Portland, THE BOOK WILL that the author is a successful Oregon, which also still operates architectural historian by trade. today. APPEAL TO This reviewer has had Powell goes into detail about THOSE GENERAL exchanges with structural the construction of the huge engineers about the role of the foundations for the main towers, READERS WHO enormous, hinged side-chains sitting as they do on soft London ARE INTERESTED supporting the outside decks clay. This was an epic piece IN THE BASIC of the bridge: Wolfe Barry said of engineering which learned that these were to stiff en the from the recently completed STORY OF TOWER suspended decks to carry the Brooklyn and Forth railwayay BRIDGE loadoad of o heavy ea y road traffi c waiting bridges, both iconic Victorianorian foforr thethe basculesbascule to close – while structures in their own rightght andand a textbooktextbook on structural theory still functioning. even likens themthe dynamically to The author tells us morere aann upsupside-downide-dow Salginatobel about the engineers and BridBridge,ge, completedcomple by the Swiss architects for the project, enengineergineer RRobertobe Maillart in 1930! an area well known by thisis In summarsummary,y, Tower Bridge is particular reviewer. The originalriginal wewellll wrwrittenitten anand produced, and designer was Sir Horace Jones, would add to ana existing library the City of London Architect,ect, colleccollectiontion of hahardbacks on but his plan was adapted for the relevant aspaspectsec of architectural construction and he died earlyearly hihistory.story. on in the project. His successorcessor designed the Gothic exteriorrior features, criticised by some,me, but required to blend withh thethe Nick von Behr neighbouring Tower of London.ondon. Nick von Behr was formerly John Wolfe Barry and Henrynry Education Manager at the Brunel were partner consultingsulting Institution of Structural Engineers. civil engineers, with an excellentxcellent He is writing a book about John pedigree, who were closelyely Wolfe Barry, Henry Brunel and their involved from the very startart inin allall famous fathers, Isambard Kingdom aspects of the build. Brunel and Sir Charles Barry Powell gives due tributee to (www.buildingpassions.co.uk). 64 November/December 2019 | thestructuralengineer.org TSE93_64_Book Review.indd 64 06/11/2019 12:38.