Tricky truss: design and construction of bridge GE19, London

This paper describes the design and construction of bridge ‘GE 19’, an 84 m span steel Warren truss railway bridge recently constructed in central London on the East London line project. Its design was heavily influenced by the way it was to be launched over the busy East Anglia main line in the middle of a congested urban area, with limited room to deliver and assemble materials. This paper explains the development of the design concept and the influences of proposed construction methods. The chosen construction sequence and major temporary works are then described, and the resulting successes, failures and lessons learned are discussed.