Waterloo Station to Institution of Civil Engineers

1. Engineering Landmarks in London
Waterloo Station to Institution of Civil Engineers
Dr Tristan Robinson
CE Course Director

2. Key sites
• Shell Building
• London Eye
• Waterloo Bridge
• Hungerford Bridge
• Victoria Embankment
• Westminster Bridge
• Institution of Civil Engineers

3. Site 1: Shell Building
• Built in the 1960s the Shell
Building is an early example
of a steel framed high rise
building, with internal wind
bracing, in the UK
Continue walking across the lawn towards the river. Look at the London Eye
from a distance, particularly the structural elements which stop the Eye from
falling over.

4. Site 2: London Eye
• Built to celebrate the
new Millennium, the
London Eye was
initially intended to be
a temporary attraction
but has become a
significant feature of
the built environment
of London.
Walk across the lawn to the river and then head east. The first bridge to the
east of the London Eye is Hungerford Bridge. Continue heading
downstream, walk under Hungerford Bridge, until you can get to the
Activity: Notice the very large
compression members and several thin
tension members holding the wheel up.
Sketch the supporting structure of the
Eye.

5. Site 3: Waterloo Bridge
• Completed in 1943
Waterloo Bridge is a
reinforced concrete bridge.
• The piers are of hollow
construction with narrow
transverse walls to carry the
superstructure.
• These consists of
reinforced concrete boxed
girders linked by a central
strip of decking.

6. Site 3: Waterloo Bridge
• The beams are faced with
Portland stone cladding,
giving the impression of a
shallow arched
construction, even though
it is actually a beam
bridge.
Activity: Turn away from the river and notice the concrete buildings which
are part of the South Bank arts precinct. What is the state of the concrete?

7. Site 3: Waterloo Bridge
Activity: Turn away from the river and notice the concrete buildings which
are part of the South Bank arts precinct. Describe the visual state of the
concrete.
Activity: Can you see any
attempts to restore the
buildings or to ameliorate the
impacts of concrete
deterioration? How successful
do you think they are?
Walk back upstream to the Hungerford Bridge.

8. Site 4: Hungerford Bridge
• The Charing Cross Rail
Bridge was designed by Sir
John Hawkshaw and opened
in 1864.
• In addition to the two red
brick bases and abutments
remaining from Brunel’s
bridge, further piers are
formed of cast iron cylinders
filled with concrete..

9. Site 4: Hungerford Bridge
• The seven span multi-cable
stayed structure of the
Hungerford Millennium
footbridges are the latest
addition to this site.
• Extensive testing was
conducted to ensure that the
bridges would not ‘wobble’ due
to the problems with the
Bankside Millennium
Footbridge

10. Site 4: Hungerford Bridge
Activity: Looking at the foundations of
the bridge notice how the new
foundations are integrated with the older
foundations. Sketch the structure.
Activity: How is the load transferred
from the deck of the footbridge to the
foundations?
Cross over the Hungerford Bridge and descend to the northern bank of the
Thames, to the Victoria Embankment

11. Site 5: Victoria Embankment
• The Victoria Embankment was constructed in the
1860s as part of the intercepting sewers project
undertaken by the Metropolitan Board of Works
Walk upstream along the Embankment until you reach Westminster
Bridge.
• The work was led by Sir
Joseph Bazalgette, and the
incepting sewers project is
one of the most important
public engineering works
ever undertaken in London.

12. Site 6: Westminster Bridge
• Westminster Bridge is highly
significant as the site of the
second bridge to be
constructed across the
Thames in London after ‘Old
London Bridge’, which was
built in 1209.
Activity: Look down to river itself. If you are visiting at low tide you will
notice the mudflats which are characteristic of the Thames. What is your
impression of the state of health of the River Thames? What do you
think are likely to be the main sources of pollution in the Thames today?

13. Site 7: Institution of Civil Engineers
• The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) was founded
in 1818. It received its Royal Charter in 1828,
providing it with the status of leading and
representing the civil engineering profession in the
United Kingdom.
• The ICE has been housed
at one Great George Street
since 1894.
• The ICE is a useful source
of information for engineers
and students.

14. References
• Halliday, S. (1999) The Great Stink of London
Sutton Publishing, Gloucestershire.
• Beckett, D. (2005) London (Thames Bridges) &
Ponts de Paris, unpublished manuscript, available
from Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, UCL, London.
• Smith, D (ed) (2001) Civil Engineering Heritage:
London and the Thames Valley Thomas Telford Ltd,
London.