Form and function; two words familiar to any structural engineer. The bridge is where these two words form a union - the very function of a bridge is its form!

Bridges preceded buildings: bridges enabled our nomadic ancestors to traverse river and ravine. Since ancient times, bridges defined the trade routes that gave rise to cities of present times. Today, these bridges are our landmarks.

But are all bridges comparable? What makes some stand out, but others go unnoticed? What are the different forms of bridge, and what advantages does each one hold?

There is so much to discuss (as always), and we will continue the discussion in Part 2 next week!