Tower Bridge is a bascule bridge spanning 800 feet (244 m) in length with two

towers each 213 feet (6 m) high! built on piers" The central span of 200 feet (61 m)
between the towers is split into two e#ual bascules or lea$es! which can be raised to
an angle of 83 degrees to allow ri$er traffic to pass through"
The importance of a bascule bridge was to allow ships to pass down the Thames
unimpeded"
%team engines would pump to dri$e the 1000 ton bascules up to full height in less
than a minute" Toda& the& are powered electricall&"
'onstruction of the bridge started in 1886 and too( 8 &ears! emplo&ing ma)or
contractors and 432 construction wor(ers"
The two main piers contain o$er *0!000 tons of concrete and support the 11!000
tons of steel of the framewor( for the towers and wal(wa&s"
The wal(wa&s were to allow pedestrian access at all times but used as a prostitue
hang out which saw them closed in 1+10"
Tower Bridge has been the scene of man& films ranging from the successful such
as the ,umm& -eturns to the terrible li(e The .d$entures of Biggles"
/n 1+2 a red 0ondon bus )umped a 3ft gap between the bascules after a traffic
light was stuc( on go"
. number of pilots ha$e attempted to fl& under Tower Bridge with at least one
hitting the Thames and d&ing" The space between it is onl& 6m 1 30m"
%uccessful attempts included an unnamed %pitfire pilot fl&ing through it during a
dog fight in 2orld 2ar 2 and most recentl& in 1+3! a 613&ear3old ma)or was gi$en a
conditional discharge after pleading guilt& to fl&ing under 1 Thames bridges in a
plane with a 36ft wingspan and in 1+68 4lt 0t .lan 5olloc( carried out the e$ent in
recognition of the 0th anni$ersar& of the formation of the -.4 in a 6aw(er 6unter"
B7/08/9: T6; T<2;- B-/8:;
8escription from an article in the 1+30=s in 2onders of 2orld ;ngineering! published b&
4leetwa& 6ouse
The most famous e1ample of the bascule bridge is the Tower Bridge across the -i$er
Thames in the heart of 0ondon" ;ngineers were able to build this t&pe of bridge without
interrupting traffic on the great commercial waterwa&"
The problem of building a bridge o$er a bus& ri$er with low ban(s so that shipping is not
obstructed is one that ta1es the resource and ingenuit& of the engineer" 6e surmounts the
difficult& b& resorting to the opening t&pe of bridge! of which the main t&pes are the
drawbridge or bascule bridge! turning about a hori>ontal a1is ? the swing bridge! turning
about a $ertical a1is ? the rolling lift bridge and the $ertical lift bridge"
<ne of the most famous e1amples of the bascule t&pe is the Tower Bridge! which spans
the -i$er Thames )ust below 0ondon Bridge" /t is the most distincti$e of 0ondon=s
bridges and its construction was a masterl& engineering achie$ement" The building of the
Tower Bridge came about because the de$elopment of cross3Thames traffic had far
outstripped the capacit& of the e1isting bridges"
B& the &ear 18*0 the position had become serious! and between 18*4 and 188 some
thirt& petitions from $arious public bodies were brought before the authorities urging
either the widening of 0ondon Bridge or the building of a new bridge"
. two da&s= census ta(en during .ugust 1882 showed that the a$erage traffic for twent&3
four hours o$er 0ondon Bridge 3which at that time was onl& 4 feet wide3was 22!242
$ehicles and 110!2 pedestrians" . committee was appointed to consider the matter and
to report upon the different plans that had been proposed"
These included schemes for low3le$el bridges with swing openings of $arious (inds! and
high3le$el bridges with inclined approaches or with lifts at either end" There was also a
proposal for a railwa& line to be built at the bottom of the ri$er and to carr& a tra$eling
staging with its dec( pro)ecting abo$e high3water le$el" 5roposals for a subwa& and for
large paddle wheel ferr& boats were also considered" one of these schemes was appro$ed"
/n 18*8 6orace @ones! the 'it& architect! put forward a proposal for a low3le$el bridge on
the bascule principle 3 that is! a bridge on a le$el with the streets with two lea$es or arms
that could be raised to let ships pass up and down the ri$er and lowered to let $ehicles
pass to and from across the waterwa&" %uccessful bridges of this t&pe alread& e1isted!
though on a much smaller scale! at -otterdam and 'openhagen"
ABasculeA is deri$ed from the 4rench word for see3saw!A and the bascule bridge is a (ind
of drawbridge which wor(s on a pi$ot and has a hea$& weight at one end to balance the
greater length at the other" This was the t&pe of bridge finall& decided upon! and it has
pro$ed a great success"
The Tower Bridge is! perhaps! the most famous bascule bridge in the world! and its
wor(ing from the da& it was first opened to the present has been perfect! far e1ceeding
the hopes e$en of its most enthusiastic ad$ocates" .n .ct of 5arliament empowering the
'orporation of the 'it& of 0ondon to build the bridge was passed in 188"
6orace @ones was appointed architect and was (nighted! but died the same &ear! and ,r"
(afterwards %ir) @ohn 2olfe Barr& was appointed engineer" The wor( was di$ided among
eight different contractors .mong them %ir @ohn @ac(son was responsible for the piers
and abutments! %ir 2illiam .rrol for the steel superstructure! %ir 2" :" .rmstrong!
,itchell and 'o"! 0td"! for the h&draulic machiner& and 5err& and 'ompan& for the
masonr& superstructure"
2or( was started on the bridge in .pril 1886! the foundation stone being laid! on behalf
of Bueen Cictoria! b& the 5rince of 2ales! afterwards Ding ;dward C//" The bridge was
to ha$e been finished b& 188+! but difficulties arose and 5arliament was twice as(ed to
e1tend the time for the completion of the wor("
/t did so! and the bridge was e$entuall& opened on @une 30! 18+4! ha$ing cost about
E1!000!000 sterling to build! a remar(abl& small sum for such a bridge in such a position"
The total length of the bridge! including the approaches! is half a mile" The roadwa& has a
width of 3 feet and on either side of it is a footwa& 12" feet wide"
The total height of the towers on the piers! measured from the le$el of the foundations! is
2+3 feet"
140 4eet 6eadwa& for %hips
/n building the bridge there were used about 23!000 cubic feet of 'ornish granite and
5ortland stone! 20!000 tons of cement! *0!000 cubic &ards of concrete! 31!000!000 bric(s
and 14!000 tons of iron and steel"
The bridge is a combination of the suspension and bascule t&pe" The width of the ri$er
between the abutments of the bridge on the north and south sides is 880 feet" This is
crossed b& three spans" The two side spans! each 2*0 feet long! are of the suspension
t&pe" The& are carried on stout chains that pass at their landward ends o$er abutment
towers of moderate height to anchorages in the shore" .t their ri$er ends the chains pass
o$er loft& towers which are themsel$es connected at an ele$ation of 143 feet abo$e high
water" 6ea$& tie bars! at the le$el of the connecting girders! unite the two pairs of chains
so that one acts as anchorage for the other at the centre"
The central span has two high3le$el foot wa&s side b& side! and one low3le$el roadwa&"
6igh3le$el girders carr& the upper footwa&s! which are reached b& h&draulic lifts or
staircases in the main towers" The roadwa&! or central opening span! is 200 feet long and
consists of two bascules or lea$es"
The Tower Bridge .ct laid down that when the bridge was open there should be a clear
headwa& at high tide between the water and the high3le$el footwa&s of 13 feet and a
headwa& of 2+ feet when the bridge was closed" These dimensions were e1ceeded in
practice! the open height being feet and the closed height 6 in" greater than had been
prescribed" This was abo$e high3water le$el" The greatest e1treme between high and low
tide at Tower Bridge is 2 feet"
The .ct further stipulated that the piers were to be 18 feet long and *0 feet wide" There
was also a clause ma(ing it compulsor& to maintain at all times during the building of the
bridge a clear waterwa& 160 feet wide" This stipulation made it impossible for the two
piers to be built at the same time! because the staging would ha$e occupied far too much
of the ri$er space" .s the use of timber cofferdams was prohibited! the builders had to
rel& on caissons" The restricted area which the& were allowed for their staging! 130 feet
b& 33 feet! did not permit the use of one caisson e1tending the full length of a pier"
The builders therefore adopted a s&stem of small caissons co$ering the area of the pier"
B& this means it was possible while building one of the piers to be wor(ing also at the
shore side of the other" 6ad both piers proceeded simultaneousl& a sa$ing of thirteen or
fourteen months might ha$e been effected"
The piers of the Tower Bridge are much more complicated structures than the piers of an
ordinar& bridge" /n addition to supporting the towers carr&ing the o$erhead girders for the
high3le$el footwa&s and the suspension chains of the fi1ed spans! the& also house the
counterpoise and the machiner& which operates the bascules"
Triangular 'aissons
The caissons used for securing the foundation of the piers consisted of strong bo1es of
wrought iron! without either top or bottom" To secure a good foundation it was found
necessar& to sin( them to a depth of about 21 feet into the bed of the ri$er" There were
twel$e caissons for each pier" <n the north and south sides of each pier was a row of four
caissons! each 28 feet s#uare! )oined at either end b& a pair of triangular caissons! formed
appro1imatel& to the shape of the finished pier" There was a space of 2" feet between all
the caissons! this being considered the least dimension in which men could effecti$el&
wor(" The caissons enclosed a rectangular space 34 feet b& 124" feet" The space was not
e1ca$ated until the permanent wor( forming the outside portion of the pier had been
built! in the caissons and between them! up to a height of 4 feet abo$e high3water mar("
The method adopted in building and sin(ing the caissons was unusual" 4irst came the
building of the caisson upon wooden supports o$er the site where it was to be sun(" The
caisson was 1+ feet in height and it was di$ided hori>ontall& into two lengths" The lower
portion was (nown as the permanent caisson and the upper portion! which was remo$able
when the pier was completed! was called the temporar& caisson" The ob)ect of this upper
portion was simpl& to (eep out water while the pier was being built" 2hen read& the
supports were remo$ed and the permanent caisson lowered to the ri$er bed (this had
pre$iousl& been le$elled b& di$ers) b& means of four powerful screws attached to four
lowering rods"
.fter the caisson had reached the ground $arious lengths of temporar& caisson were
added to the permanent section! till the top of the temporar& portion came abo$e the le$el
of high water" The )oint between the permanent and the temporar& caissons was made
tight with india3rubber" 8i$ers wor(ing inside the caisson e1ca$ated first the gra$el and
then the upper part of the cla& forming the bed of the ri$er" .s the& dug awa& the soil!
which was hauled up b& a crane and ta(en awa& in barges! the caisson graduall& san(
until its bottom edge penetrated some feet to 10 feet into the solid 0ondon cla&" 0ondon
cla& is a firm watertight stratum! and when the desired depth had been reached b& the
caisson it was safe to pump out the water! which up to this time had remained in the
caisson! rising and falling with the tide through the sluices in the sides"
The water ha$ing been pumped out! na$$ies were able to get to the bottom of the caisson
and to dig out the cla& in the dr&" .dditional lengths of temporar& caisson were added as
the caisson san(! so that at last each caisson was a bo1 of iron * feet high! in which the
preparation of the foundations could be made" The caisson ha$ing been controlled from
the first b& the lowering rods and screws! its descent an& farther than was desired was
easil& arrested b& the rods when the bottom of the caisson was 20 feet below the bed of
the ri$er" The cla& was then e1ca$ated * feet deeper than the bottom of the caisson! and
outwards be&ond the cutting edge for a distance of feet on three of the four sides of the
caisson" /n this wa& not onl& was the area of the foundations of the pier enlarged but! as
the sidewa&s e1ca$ation ad)oined similar e1ca$ations from the ne1t caissons! the whole
foundation also was made continuous"
.ll the permanent caissons! with the spaces between them were then completel& filled
with concrete! upon which the bric(wor( and masonr& were begun in the temporar&
caisson and carried up to 4 feet abo$e high water" The preparation of the foundations was
a long and troublesome tas( because of the e1tent of the ri$er traffic! which made it
difficult to berth the necessar& barges" <n two occasions AblowsA occurred which
hindered the operations" 2hen the cutting edge of one of the caissons had reached a depth
of 16 feet beneath the ri$er bed! water rushed into the caisson through a rent in the cla&"
The caisson had to be lowered still further to seal the opening when the water was
pumped out"
The second blow was due to one of the stage piles between the caissons ha$ing been
dri$en in aslant" .s the caisson went down its cutting edge came in contact with the pile
and thus loosened the cla& in the immediate neighbourhood" 8i$ers were sent down to
ascertain the damage and the pile was re3dri$en" The full e1tent of these handicaps was
underestimated and thus this section of the wor( occupied much longer than had been
e1pected" 4inall& there emerged four feet abo$e high3water mar( two gigantic piers of
concrete! granite and bric(s able to withstand without settlement a load of *0!000 tons"
4rom the ri$er bed upwards the piers are faced with rough pic(ed 'ornish granite! in
courses between 2 feet and 2" feet thic(" The piers called for the e1ca$ation of 30!000
cubic &ards of mud! silt and 0ondon cla&" The material consumed in the piers was 2!220
cubic &ards of cement! 22!400 cubic &ards of bric(s and 3!340 cubic &ards of 'ornish
granite" The cost of the piers was E111!122" .s soon as the piers had been finished the
building of the towers began"
%tone <$er %teel
Because of the fine masonr& wor( of these towers! Tower Bridge is often mista(en for a
stone bridge" /t is a steel bridge! howe$er! )ust as much as is the 4orth Bridge! and it
depends entirel& for its strength upon the steel columns and girders of which it is
composed" .s the authorities insisted that the design of the bridge should be in (eeping
with its surroundings! the steelwor( is faced with masonr& whose architectural character
is made to harmoni>e with the general st&le of the Tower of 0ondon close b&"
The masonr& is 'ornish granite and 5ortland stone! bac(ed with bric(wor(" ;ach of the
steel towers consists of four octagonal columns! with a diameter of ft" 6 in"! connected
at a height of 60 feet abo$e the piers b& plate girders! 6 feet deep" .cross these are laid
smaller girders which carr& the first landing" Twent&3eight feet higher is the second
landing! similarl& built! and at an e#ual distance abo$e that is the third landing! leading to
the high3le$el footwa&s ;ach column rests on a massi$e granite slab pre$iousl& co$ered
with three la&ers of speciall& prepared can$as to ma(e the pressure e$en and the )oint
watertight" The columns are (e&ed to their foundations b& great bolts built into the piers"
.ll four columns in each pier are braced diagonall& to resist the wind pressure! which is
calculated at a ma1imum of 6 lb" to the s#uare inch! a pressure se$eral times greater than
has e$er been registered in the localit&" /t was important that precautions should be ta(en
to pre$ent an& adhesion between the masonr& and the steelwor( of the towers" 2ith this
ob)ect the columns were co$ered with can$as as the masonr& was built round them! and
spaces were left in places where an& later deformation of the steel wor( might bring
undue weight upon the ad)acent stonewor(" The masonr& co$ering forms an e1cellent
protection against e1tremes of temperature"
.ll parts of the metal not accessible for painting purposes after the bridge was completed
were coated thoroughl& with 5ortland cement" ,anholes were pro$ided in the steel
columns to ma(e it possible to paint the interior whene$er it became necessar&" The
abutments of the bridge! which were built b& means of cofferdams in the usual manner
and without difficult&! ha$e similar but shorter towers"
The towers finished! wor(men tac(led the high3le$el footwa&s" These are cantile$er
structures! each with a suspended span" The& were built out from either tower
simultaneousl&" The footwa&s are cantile$ers for a distance of feet from either tower
and suspended girders for the remaining distance of 120 feet between the cantile$er ends"
The building of these cantile$ers attracted a great amount of attention on the part of the
public! who watched their gradual approach with (een interest" ;$er& care was ta(en to
pre$ent ri$ets! fragments and tools from falling into the ri$er below! to the peril of
passengers in passing $essels"
/ntricate %uspension 'hains
.long the upper boom of the footwa& run the great ties connecting the suspension chains
at their ri$er ends" ;ach of the two ties is 301 feet long and is composed of eight plates 2
feet deep and 1 inch thic(! ending in large e&e3plates to ta(e the pins uniting them to the
suspension chains" The ma(ing of these chains was one of the most interesting and at the
same time most delicate parts of the whole underta(ing" ;ach chain is composed of two
parts! or lin(s! the shorter dipping from the top of the abutment tower to the roadwa&! the
longer rising from the roadwa& to the summit of the main tower" The lin(s ha$e each a
lower and upper boom! connected b& diagonal bracing so as to form a rigid girder" The&
were built in the positions the& had to occup&! supported on trestles! and were not freed
until the& had been )oined b& huge steel pins to the ties crossing the central span and to
those on the abutment towers"
The boring of the pin holes was a matter of great delicac& and considerable difficult&" The
holes in the e&e3plates of ties and chains had been bored to within 0" in" of their final
diameter before lea$ing the contractor=s wor(s at :lasgow! and the finishing touches were
added when the plates were in position" The labour of enlarging all the holes to their full
diameter was e#ui$alent to boring a hole with a diameter of 2 ft" 6 in" through 6 feet of
solid steel" ,ost of this boring had to be done in somewhat aw(ward positions at the top
of the main towers and abutments! whither it was necessar& to transport engines! boilers
and boring tools"
The outstanding feature of the bridge is its opening span! consisting of two bascules or
lea$es" ;ach leaf consists of four parallel girders 13" feet apart and about 160 feet long"
2hen lowered the leaf pro)ects hori>ontall& 100 feet towards the opposite tower!
spanning e1actl& half of the opening" The point of balance is a solid pi$ot! with a
diameter of 1 ft" + in" and a length of 48 feet" /t passes through the girders 0 feet from
their shore ends" The pi$ot is (e&ed to the girders and rotates on roller bearings carried b&
eight girders crossing the piers hori>ontall& from north to south! themsel$es borne on
girders under their ends"
The chief difficult& attending the erection of the bascules was due to the condition that
compelled the contractors to lea$e a clear wa& of 160 feet between the towers" /n other
circumstances the girders might ha$e been completed before being brought into line and
connected together" .s it was! the engineers first built the portions on the shore side of the
pi$ot! added a short section of the ri$erward steelwor( and launched the incomplete
girders from the main stage close to the piers into the bascule chambers" . steel mandrel
(c&lindrical rod) was inserted to carr& their weight while the& were turned into a $ertical
position" The mandrel was then withdrawn to ma(e room for the permanent pi$ot! which
weighed 2 tons" The outer ends were added to until a point 3 feet from the pi$ot had
been reached" 2or( in this direction then stopped until the raising and lowering of the
lea$es for purposes of ad)ustment had been concluded"
.fter that the girders were completed $erticall&" The lea$es! each of which weighs about
1!200 tons! are mo$ed b& toothed pinions! engaging with steel #uadrantal rac(s ri$eted to
their two outside girders" The accurate attachment of the rac(s was a somewhat difficult
business because of the confined space in which the men had to wor(" To preser$e the
balance of the bascule it was necessar& to load the shorter! or inner arm with
counterpoises! consisting of 2+0 tons of lead and 60 tons of iron enclosed in ballast bo1es
at the e1treme ends of the girders" The function of the raising gear is merel& to o$ercome
the inertia of the 1!2003tons leaf and the friction caused b& wind pressure on the e1posed
surface" /n designing the h&draulic machiner& allowance was made for a wind pressure of
6 lb" to the s#uare foot"
<pened and %hut in 4i$e ,inutes
The source of power is a building on the east side of the southern approach! where are
stationed two large water accumulators with 203in" rams loaded to gi$e a pressure of from
*00 lb" to 800 lb" per s#uare inch" The engines are duplicated on either pier to pro$ide
against the possibilit& of brea(down" The operations of opening and shutting the bridge
are safeguarded b& e$er& possible means" 2hen the lea$es are brought together bolts
carried on one leaf are loc(ed b& h&draulic power into soc(ets on the other leaf" /n the
e$ent of an&thing going wrong with the opening and closing mechanism there would be
no danger of disaster! for the lea$es would be brought gentl& to rest in either the $ertical
or the hori>ontal position"
The whole process of opening the bascules! allowing a ship to pass and bringing them
down again for the resumption of road traffic ta(es onl& fi$e minutes" Thus the large
h&draulic lifts! which go to the top of the tower to the o$erhead footwa& with eighteen
passengers in one minute! are rarel& used" /t has been found that the interruption of traffic
is so brief that pedestrians do not ta(e the trouble to go up and o$er the footwa&! but wait
for the lowering of the bascules"
;1cerpts from @ohn 2olfe Barr&=s The Tower Bridge" . 0ecture (18+4)! composed in
18+3" .s Barr& e1plains in a brief preface! the account was prepared partl& for people
Awell ac#uainted with engineering matters!A but Amore largel&A for those who are simpl&
interested! and who ma& Awish to form a general conception of its design and of the
$arious considerations which led up to its inception and determined its mode of
e1ecutionA F e1cerpts selected! most of the headings added! and photographs (unless
otherwise noted) b& @B"G
The 2est %ide of Tower Bridge" 5hotograph (2013) b& -uth ," 0andow" H;ast side of the
bridge b& the same photographer"G
The %ubstructure
AThe wor( of the foundations was troublesome and tedious! owing to the isolation of the
piers! and still more to the great amount of ri$er traffic! rendering the berthing of barges
difficult" The substructure thus occupied a considerabl& longer time than was anticipatedA
(36)"
The 4i1ed %uperstructure

Two photographs showing details of the bridge=s constructionI 0eftI The massi$e )oint
that connects two sections of the bridge" -ightI The laminated steel plates"" 5hotographs
b& -uth ," 0andow"G
AThe fi1ed parts of the superstructure of the Tower Bridge consist of two shore spans!
each of 2*0 feet! and of a central high le$el span of 230 feet" The fi1ed bridge is of the
suspension form of construction! and the chains are carried on loft& towers on each pier
and on lower towers on each abutment""" A (4)"
The 5iers
The
north
tower
with
its pier
AThe
piers
of the
Tower
Bridge
are
essentiall& different from the piers of an ordinar& bridge! inasmuch as the& ha$e to
contain the counterpoise and machiner& of the opening span! as well as to support the
towers which carr& the suspension chains of the fi1ed spans and the o$erhead girders
abo$e the opening span" The& are thus $er& comple1 structures""" Their total depth from
the roadwa& le$el to the 0ondon cla&! on which the& rest! is 102 feetA (23! 2)"
The 4ootbridges
AThe mode adopted for spanning the landward openings is b& suspension chains! which in
this case are stiffened" The chains are anchored in the ground at each end of the bridge!
and united b& hori>ontal ties across the central opening at a high le$el """" These ties are
carried b& two narrow bridges 10 feet in width! which are a$ailable as foot bridges when
the bascule span is open for the passage of $essels" The foot bridges are 140 feet abo$e
Trinit& high water! and! as their supports stand bac( 1 feet from the face of the piers!
their clear span is 230 feet" .ccess is gi$en to them b& h&draulic lifts and b& commodious
staircases in the towersA (2632*)"
The -oadwa&
AHThe landward crossingG is di$ided into 36 feet for the $ehicular traffic and into two
pathwa&s each 1 2 feet wide" / ma& mention in passing that 0ondon Bridge is 4 feet
wide between the parapetsA (3)"
The %pan for -i$er Traffic
AThe stipulated dimensions of the opening span Hpro$ideG! when the bridge is open for
ships! a clear waterwa& of 200 feet in width! with a clear height throughout the 200 feet
of 13 feet (which has been increased in construction to 140 feet) from Trinit& high water
mar(" / ma& mention in passing that / thin( these dimensions constitute the largest
opening span in the world" The ne1t largest opening is! / belie$e! at the 9ewcastle bridge!
where there are two separate spans of 100 feet eachA (3633*)"
<pening the Bridge
.n earl&3twentieth3centur& photograph of Tower Bridge b& 4eist and 'o"! publishers of
postcards" Hthe postcard $ersionG"
A/ should mention that when the two lea$es of the opening span are brought together!
there will be long wedge3shaped bolts! actuated b& h&draulic machiner&! fi1ed on one leaf
and shooting into the other leaf! to complete the union of the two" .ll the machiner& of
the opening span will be wor(ed from cabins on the piers! in which there will be le$ers
li(e those in a railwa& signal bo1! so interloc(ed one with the other that all the proper
mo$ements must follow in the arranged orderA (44)"
Time 4actors
AThe time re#uired for the actual mo$ement of the opening span from a position of rest
hori>ontall& to a position of rest $erticall& is estimated at about 1J minutes" To this must
be added the time necessar& for stopping the road traffic and clearing the bridge! and
withdrawing the bolts" This ma& ta(e! perhaps! some 1J minutes more! and we then ha$e
to add the time for the passage of a ship and the lowering of the bridge" The time of /J
minutes for opening or shutting the bridge gi$es a mean circumferential speed at the
e1tremit& of each leaf of 2 feet per second! which is a moderate speed for an opening
bridgeA (44)"

0eftI 6eraldr& on the bridge" -ightI The iron span"
%ignalling 5rocedures
A%ignals will be pro$ided b& semaphores b& da& and signal lamps b& night! to show ships
whether the bridge is open or shut" B& night when the bridge is open for ships! four green
lights will be shown in both directions! and when it is shut against ships four red lights
will be similarl& e1hibited! and then lights will be interloc(ed with the machiner&! so that
wrong signals cannot be shown" B& da& similar intimation will be afforded b& semaphore
arms on the same posts as those which carr& the signal lamps" 8uring fogg& weather! a
gong will be used in specified wa&sA (4434)"
The 0ifts
A<ne other part of the machiner& remains to be mentioned" This is that of the passenger
lifts between the roadwa& le$el and the high le$el foot bridge" There are two lifts in each
tower! consisting of a cage! 13 feet b& 6 feet! and + feet high! raised and lowered b& an
ordinar& h&draulic ram with chain gearing! and capable of lifting 20 to 2 passengers in
about 1J minutes! including the dela&s of opening and shutting the doors" .s the lift will
ha$e to descend carr&ing a cargo of passengers before it can ta(e a second load of
ascending passengers! we ma& assume three minutes from one start to the ne1t? or! as
there are two lifts on each tower! 1K minutes" /n addition to the lifts! there are ample
flights of stairs in the towersA (4)"
The Towers (:eneral .ppearance and ,aterials)

Ciews of one of the towers F 0eftI -oof! pinnacles! and windows (photograph b& -" ,"
0andow? $iew in a different light)" ,iddleI Ciew from the roadwa& approach" -ightI
:othic window tracer& on tower"
A2hen an opening bridge was first proposed there was some outcr& b& aesthetical people
on the score of its ruining the pictures#ueness of the Tower of 0ondon b& hideous girder
erections! and it seemed to be the uni$ersal wish that this bridge should be in harmon&
architecturall& with the Tower"""" it was originall& intended that the towers should be of
bric(wor( in a feudal st&le of architecture! and the bridge somewhat li(e the drawbridge
of a 'rusader=s castle""""" %ir 6orace @ones unfortunatel& died in 188*! when the
foundations had not made much progress"""" %ince the death of m& coad)utor / ha$e
preser$ed the general architectural features of the 5arliamentar& s(etch designs! but it
will be seen that the structure as erected differs largel& therefrom! both in treatment and
material""""" H/Gt became apparent that it would not be possible to support the weight of the
bridge on towers wholl& of masonr&! as in the first designs! unless the& were made of
great si>e and unnecessar& weight" /t was! conse#uentl&! necessar& that the main supports
should be of iron or steel! which could! howe$er! be surrounded b& masonr&! so as to
retain the architectural character of the whole structureA (48)"
/nterior of the Towers
AThe s(eleton of each tower consists of four wrought steel pillars! octagonal in plan! built
up of ri$etted plates" The pillars start from wide spreading bases! and e1tend upwards to
the suspension chains! which the& support" The& are united b& hori>ontal girders and
man& diagonal bracings"""" The chains are carried on the abutments b& similar but lower
pillars"""" Between the pillars are spaces for the public stairs and the passenger lifts! and
for the #uadrants of the opening span when in their upward positionA (48! 0)"
The 'hains
AThe main chains! which are 60 feet 6 inches apart from centre to centre! e1tend from the
rollers on the piers to other rollers on each abutment! and support the platform of the
bridge b& suspension rods! e1tending from the bottom of the chains to the cross girders of
the platform""""" /t ma& be as(ed wh& are these structures! which loo( li(e girders! called
chainsL The& are! in fact! chains! stiffened to pre$ent deflection! and the ob)ect of the
form is to distribute the local loads due to passing traffic! which! in the case of an
ordinar& suspension chain! distort the chain! continuall& depressing each part as the load
passes! and conse#uentl& distorting the platform of the bridge" B& ma(ing the chain! as it
were! double! and bracing it with iron triangulations! these local deflections of the chain
are a$oidedA (031)"
2eight
AThe total weight of steel and iron in the Tower Bridge will amount to nearl& 12!000
tonsA (3)"
'onstruction Time
AThe time of construction! some * &ears to the present time! has seemed long! but it ma&
be some comfort to those who are impatient! to remember that old 0ondon Bridge was 33
&ears in building! old 2estminster Bridge 11M &ears! and new 0ondon Bridge *J &ears!
and / thin( m& hearers will ha$e seen that the Tower Bridge is no ordinar& bridge! and in
no ordinar& position" The structure and its machiner& are full of the most elaborate and
complicated wor( of all (indsA (64)"
'ost
AThe cost of the bridge! with its approaches and including the cost of the propert&
purchased! will be about a million sterling! and the whole of the e1pense will be defra&ed
out of the funds carefull& husbanded and administered b& the Bridge 6ouse ;states
'ommittee" 0ondoners will thus be presented! without the charge of one penn& on the
rates! with a free bridge" The e1pense of wor(ing the bridge! which will be $er&
considerable from the #uantit& of machiner& comprised within it! will also be paid b& the
'orporationA (63)"
Barr&=s tributes to 'olleagues
4irst and most important of all! m& ac(nowledgments are due to m& partner! ,r" 6" ,"
Brunel! who has super$ised the whole of the complicated calculations and details of the
structure! and has ta(en a $er& acti$e share in the carr&ing out of the wor( from first to
last" .fterwards follow the resident engineer! ,r" 'ruttwell! who has been in control of
the wor(s from their commencement? ,r" 4&son! who has had the dut& of the preparation
of most of the detailed wor(ing drawings and calculations of engineering matters! and
,r" %te$enson! who has acted as m& architectural assistant" /n connection with this
sub)ect! / cannot but e1press m& great regret that the wor( was so soon after its
commencement depri$ed of the architectural (nowledge and e1perience of %ir 6orace
@ones! and that he has not li$ed to see the mode in which his conception of a large bascule
bridge across the Thames has been realised"""" /n another branch of dut& / ha$e to e1press
m& than(s to the $arious contractors """ lastl&! and in a $er& important degree! to the firm
of %ir 2" :" .rmstrong! ,itchell and 'o"! to whom is entrusted the h&draulic machiner&!
which! / belie$e! is without ri$al in si>e and powerA (63364)"
The 4uture
AThe seagoing ships which pass the site of the Tower Bridge! and for which the central
span would ha$e to be opened! number on the a$erage! about 1* dail&" The& pass b&
chiefl& at or near the time of high water! and it ma& well be arranged that se$eral ma&
pass one behind the other" The number of seagoing ships proceeding abo$e the site of the
bridge does not show an& tendenc& to growth! but! on the contrar&! the $olume of such
traffic will rather! / thin(! gra$itate to the doc(s down stream as time goes on" / am afraid
that some disappointment will occasionall& be felt when $ehicular traffic is stopped b&
the opening of the bridge! but it ma& be hoped that no serious dela&s will occur either to
seagoing ships or to $ehicular traffic! as the periods during which the opening span will
be raised! though sufficient for the accommodation of the ri$er traffic! will not be of
fre#uent occurrence or of long duration" The Tower Bridge will! it is thought! fairl& meet
all the difficulties of the case! but if the road traffic becomes of greater importance! and
the sea3going ri$er traffic grows less! / suppose the fate of the bridge will be to become a
fi1ed bridge" 6ow soon this ma& happen no one can tell" /t is able to fulfil its duties either
as an opening or as a fi1ed bridge (62363)
'onclusion
A/n drawing this description of the wor(s to a conclusion! / ma& be allowed to e1press a
hope that the Tower Bridge! when finished! will be considered to be not unworth& of the
'orporation of the greatest cit& of ancient or modern timesA (64)"
-elate