30 Bridges

Publishers Weekly

When a structural engineer sets out to write a book, one expects the results to be incomprehensibly technical. Not so with this dazzling survey of contemporary bridge building by British engineer Wells. A conviction that architects and engineers should be equal partners in bridge design has guided Wells's selection of 30 international cutting-edge examples of everything from urban pedestrian crossings to soaring mountain highways. Starting with a capsule history propounding his theory of progress in bridge construction from ancient times to the present, Wells moves on to profile each bridge in multipage spreads. An examination of each bridge's construction history, structural systems, and aesthetics is amply supplemented with photos, drawings, and plans. Wells assumes a readership versed in engineering basics and focuses on bridges built after the mid-1980s. Public libraries should first consider more general surveys such as David Bennett's The Creation of Bridges and Judith Dupr 's Bridges: A History of the World's Most Famous and Important Spans. Wells's contribution is highly recommended for engineering, architecture, academic, and large public libraries. David Solt sz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

When a structural engineer sets out to write a book, one expects the results to be incomprehensibly technical. Not so with this dazzling survey of contemporary bridge building by British engineer Wells. A conviction that architects and engineers should be equal partners in bridge design has guided Wells's selection of 30 international cutting-edge examples of everything from urban pedestrian crossings to soaring mountain highways. Starting with a capsule history propounding his theory of progress in bridge construction from ancient times to the present, Wells moves on to profile each bridge in multipage spreads. An examination of each bridge's construction history, structural systems, and aesthetics is amply supplemented with photos, drawings, and plans. Wells assumes a readership versed in engineering basics and focuses on bridges built after the mid-1980s. Public libraries should first consider more general surveys such as David Bennett's The Creation of Bridges and Judith Dupr 's Bridges: A History of the World's Most Famous and Important Spans. Wells's contribution is highly recommended for engineering, architecture, academic, and large public libraries. David Solt sz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.