ABSTRACT
The target period for the literature survey roughly ranges from 1850 till 1920, but is extended to achieve a more comprehensive overview for several of the design aspects. The literature survey is geographically limited mainly to France, England and Belgium. The literature survey covers several aspects: loads applied on structures, regulations used, material properties, safety concepts used in the design, structural analysis methods, verifications and connections. The metal works started in August 1882 with the metal piles, and in November 1884 the structure was finished. It was only in 1888 that the railway line was completed and that the bridge could enter in service. The general public and, the architects, were not so enthusiastic about the new metal structures replacing more classical constructions. The rise of metal structures in Western Europe can be attributed to the booming railway industry during and after the industrial revolution.
