Wednesday, November 26, 2025
10:00
Provenance, Detailing and Form – The Potential for Timber Bridges in Scotland
10:00 - 10:25
Timber Bridges
- Conceptual approach to modern timber bridges.
- Differences and similarities with other forms of bridge construction.
- Lessons from Europe and Scandinavia.
10:25
AMIDS Tied Arch Bridge
10:25 - 10:50
Arch Bridges
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Innovation through AMIDS tied‑arch concept. Focusing on Ramboll’s AMIDS tied‑arch solution introduced in 2023, featured alongside other major projects like the MTHL and Isle d’Orléans crossings.
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Structural and geotechnical advantages and efficiency through modern engineering and materials - discussing tied‑arch bridges, horizontal thrusts are contained by a tie chord which reduce the demand on foundations. Ideal for sites with weak soils or constrained abutments. The AMIDS variant emphasizes this advantage in embedded urban or soft-ground settings.
10:50
National Highways Structures Moonshot
10:50 - 11:15
Inspection & Assessment
National Highways’ Structures Moonshot is an R&D project looking at NDT for concrete bridges with hidden critical elements. The project includes:
- Review of current generation forms of NDT and forensic investigation of their effectiveness.
- Investment in low-TRL technologies to develop new concepts to a point where live trials can be conducted.
- Deployment of new NDT technologies on deteriorated in-service structures to review effectiveness.
11:45
Low Carbon Active Travel Bridges – An Overview
11:45 - 12:10
Decarbonisation
Active Travel Bridges
- How can we maximise the “carbon benefits” of active travel bridges, while minimising their “carbon impact”? Can we ever achieve active travel bridges with no carbon impact at all?
- Active travel bridges can be a lower-cost, lower-risk test bed for transformative technology.
- This presentation explores the state-of-the-art in low carbon active travel bridges.
12:10
Decarbonisation Progress and Persistent Barriers
12:10 - 12:35
Decarbonisation
- Are we experiencing carbon fatigue?
- Evidence of collaboration and discussing leadership roles.
- Removing barriers.
14:00
Kalemouth Suspension Bridge – A History of and Planned Refurbishment
14:00 - 14:25
Refurbishment
- Short history of the Category A Listed bridge, constructed c.1835 and designed by Captain Samuel Brown.
- Background to closure of motorised vehicles and the study work undertaken since.
- Details of the planned refurbishment works and next steps.
14:25
How Does Technology Enable Better Outcomes?
14:25 - 14:50
Artifical Intelligence
- The use of technology to gain better knowledge and understanding of an asset.
- How better information and insights reduces risk.
- Using Immense AI and SRM AI to gain greater understanding of the impacts of interventions on operational infrastructure.
- The use of AI supported project delivery; centralised data, available to all.
14:50
Local Authority Structures: A Ticking Time Bomb?
14:50 - 15:15
Refurbishment
Inspection & Assessment
15:45
Bridges TEN/20
15:45 - 16:15
- The TEN/20 (aka Pecha Kucha) is a stand-alone session comprising mini presentations delivered at a blistering pace by exhibitors and delegates from local authorities and academia.
Thursday, November 27, 2025
10:00
Forth Road Bridge Main Cable Internal Inspection and Assessment
10:00 - 10:25
Refurbishment
Inspection & Assessment
- The presentation will discuss the history of the Forth Road Bridge Main Cable Internal Inspection and Assessment and the works undertaken to prevent continued corrosion, including the refurbishment of the main cable dehumidification system.
- David will also discuss the latest internal inspection and assessment methodology and look at the future implications for the Forth Road Bridge.
10:25
Visual Engineering: Bringing the Construction of the Forth Rail Bridge to Life
10:25 - 10:50
Artifical Intelligence
- Discover Walid's decade-long pursuit to capture the Forth Rail Bridge's construction, striving to visually convey its majesty, complexity, and cultural significance.
- Using the landscape as a cinematic tool, learn how Walid integrated the environment into every frame of the film, using light, weather, and movement to create the visual narrative.
10:50
Management and Assessment of Concrete Highway Bridges Containing Half-Joints
10:50 - 11:15
Inspection & Assessment
- Bridge collapses involving half-joints.
- How can risks be managed?
- How can structural capacity be assessed?
- Management actions.
Speakers
11:45
Panel: Addressing the Skills Shortage
11:45 - 12:35
Skills
- Discussing reasons behind the skills shortage and ways of remidiating it for the bridges sector.
14:00
Asset Custodianship
14:00 - 14:25
Artifical Intelligence
Refurbishment
Inspection & Assessment
- Bridge managers across Scotland face an impossible equation: ageing infrastructure, growing demands, and shrinking budgets. Traditional approaches that worked in better-funded times are no longer sufficient.
- This presentation will equip delegates with:
- A practical four-risk framework for prioritising interventions.
- The five operating modes that determine what actions are actually available.
- Tools for communicating risk to non-technical stakeholders:
Speakers
14:25
M74 Nethan Viaduct
14:25 - 14:50
Refurbishment
Inspection & Assessment
14:50
25 Years Later: The Millennium Bridge Building Bubble Reviewed
14:50 - 15:10
- A Synopsis of the 2025 IABSE Henderson Colloquium at Christ’s College Cambridge.
- How did the millennium bridge building programme happen?
- Were the bridges a success? Could or should it happen again?
- What would we do differently now?