Anyone know anything about bridge design?

Not business related and am stuck, so think this may be an appropriate section for the thread!!!

We have locally a Victorian bridge (strength never been tested, known to be in need of at least £21K's worth of repairs and situated on a rural lane on which access is restricted to vehicles weighing 7.5T or less). The width of the lane is about 3.5 metres - the "traffic" on it comprises the occasional car, tractor and bike.

A planning applicant wants to build a waste plant off this lane and send HGV lorries up to 44T across this pretty but dilapidated bridge. The County Council's Highways Agency think the bridge will stand up to such use. That's not the opinion of the only Civil Engineer heritage bridge expert I've been able to contact to date.

Some MLF-ers are ex Forces and might have Engineering contacts who know about how to design (temporary??) bridges capable of taking heavy weights. Perhaps other MLF-ers have Civil Engineer contacts.

Do any of you know please what's the minimum criteria a bridge should meet if it's to be used by HGVs up to 44 tons (eg size, materials, space for foundations)?

I've tried reading my way through the Highways Agency's Design Manual Roads & Bridges but unsurprisingly didn't get very far!!

If anyone can advise, could they contact me by 16 Nov please (my email is lw@careers-partnership-uk.com) - I know it's short notice but we only got the Planning Officers report yesterday and have to present our case 18 Nov.

Keeping my fingers crossed! Would be really grateful for any help you can offer. Best wishes, Linda

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Morning Linda, only just seen this.

Can't say I know anything about bridges, but as an ex wagon driver, it sounds ridiculous.

Only thing I could suggest would be to engage a your own expert who could provide evidence, but obviously that would cost.

Just googled Bridge Inspections - RSI | Bridge Inspection - RSI and they have worked with Leicestershire Council, maybe they could give advice?

If you want to buy some time and get some fuss going, phone the Sun newsdesk, they love stuff like this, "local rural village under siege of 44ton monsters", if they won't listen, get twittering, I'm sure theres plenty of us that will do a retweet for you

Councils respond to noise, so if you make enough of it, you can slow them down while you plan a strategy.

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THANKS for the help sjr4x4, have contacted the company and am keeping fingers tightly crossed for helpful responses!

And now for a lovely evening going through the Planning Officer's report in depth, cross-referencing everything we need to raise!!!

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Good luck, be interesting to hear how you get on, never had much luck when I've tried talking to the council

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cheers Steve
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