A Memoir On Suspension Bridges

This book is about suspension bridges and their construction. It was written by Charles Stewart Drewry and was published in 1832. It covers the principles and challenges involved in the construction of suspension bridges, as well as various methods and materials that have been used in the past. The book also discusses various examples of important suspension bridges, such as the Menai Suspension Bridge and the first such construction over the Thames at Hammersmith.

Published in 1832, this was the first English textbook dedicated to the topic of suspension bridges in Britain and continental Europe. Having assisted the naval officer and civil engineer Samuel Brown in preparing plans for the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Charles Stewart Drewry (1805-81) used information supplied directly by his engineering contemporaries to give an overview of the principles and challenges involved in the construction of suspension bridges. A key reference for the early history of this type of structure, the book discusses various methods and materials, ranging across rope, wood, chain and wire. Details regarding experiments on the strength of iron bars and wires are also given. Enhanced by lithographic plates and woodcut illustrations, the work is notable for its discussion of many examples of important bridges, such as Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge and the first such construction over the Thames at Hammersmith, as well as designs from overseas.