Christopher Walker
Engineer-Bridges, North Yorkshire CouncilDr Christopher Walker is a civil and geotechnical engineer specialising in the resilience of transport infrastructure under changing climate conditions. Christopher completed a PhD in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Leeds, researching the impact of climate change on transport infrastructure with interests unsaturated soils and thermo-hydro mechanical coupled finite element modelling. He is currently an Engineer involved in the design and delivery of highway improvement and maintenance schemes across North Yorkshire's transport infrastructure assets.
My Sessions at Day 1
Wednesday 10 March 2027
Fore Gill Bridge Rebuild: A Sustainable Approach to Renewing Ageing Rural Infrastructure
Fore Gill Bridge is a historic masonry highways structure on a critical rural route between Swaledale and Arkengarthdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. On New Year’s Eve 2023, prolonged rainfall contributed to the collapse of an approach retaining wall, exposing several undocumented masonry arches that were nearing the end of their maintainable life.
This presentation explores how North Yorkshire Council Engineers responded to the failure and approached the sympathetic replacement of the ageing structure which involved the reconstruction of the traditional unreinforced masonry arch. The case study will examine why a masonry arch was selected over a modern alternative, and how this decision supported material reuse and preserved its historic character. It will also present wider lessons learned for asset owners managing the risks, costs, sustainability and stakeholder challenges associated with ageing infrastructure.
