Andy Cross, BEng, CEng, FICE.
Summary:
Composite structures are still a novelty on the railway and construction industry in general. The first of many FRP footbridges was installed on the railway in 1997, the potential benefits of composites to reduce costs could be significant however there needs to be a cultural change to realise it. What do we need to do to make Composites the material of choice for infrastructure? I’ll discuss the journey I’ve had with introducing the FLOW bridge and how I have tried to change the situation.
Brief CV:
Andy is currently leading an R&D funded project to develop an innovative lightweight low-cost footbridge solution. A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, he has 30 years’ experience of Railway Civil Engineering, having started as a Graduate Trainee with London Underground, then going to Scott Wilson Consultants before joining Railtrack, subsequently Network Rail, in 1999. During this time Andy has held various roles including Design Engineer, Resident Engineer, Project Engineer, Renewals Engineer, Project Manager, Asset Manager. His main area of expertise is Bridges however he also has been involved with Track, Geotechnics, Buildings and Off-Track as well as leading on introducing innovation to projects, notable successes include the FRP footbridge at Dawlish Station and the development of standard designs.