Bridges presentation
Figure 9 Rio Cobre Bridge (1800), Spanish Town,
Jamaica, the oldest iron bridge in the western
hemisphere, was designed by Thomas Wilson and
employs the same iron voussoir, incremental circular
spandrel bracing, and cast-iron plate deck as the earlier
Wearmouth Bridge. Essentially a "kit bridge," the
system of small castings held together by wrought-iron
ties, tubes, and bolts lent itself to export. Many bridges
of this type were shipped to distant colonies of the
British Empire Eric DeLony, photographer
Today, several collections of cast-iron arches survive in different countries, the largest being in the
United Kingdom, six in the USA, a few in France and Spain, and a remarkable selection surviving in
Russia, dating back to the reign of Catherine the Great. These need to be studied and a selection
made for nomination.
By 1800, most European engineers were open to using cast iron. Architects, however, preferred
annaabi.ee 
