PROBLEMS with simulating the way London’s Millennium Bridge behaves when in
use may be the reason the radical new design sways alarmingly, sources say. As
New Scientist went to press, engineers were checking the closed bridge
to find the fault that terrified many people who walked across it on its opening
day.
The £18 million, 320-metre footbridge over the Thames is essentially a
flat suspension bridge. It rests on two concrete piers in mid-river, while four
cables running along each side take some of the load and stiffen the structure.
“A very light structure like this with a long span is going to be flexible,”…
