1 Introduction
Flint & Neill Partnership has been tasked by the Scottish Executive with carrying out an audit of the first internal inspection and associated assessment of the condition of the main cables on the Forth Road Bridge. The inspection and assessment was commissioned by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority ( FETA) and was undertaken by Faber Maunsell and Weidlinger. Reports from that inspection indicate that there are serious reservations over the residual strength of the main cables and the projected longer term deterioration of these critical load carrying elements of the Forth Bridge.
The Scottish Executive commissioned Flint & Neill Partnership on 11th November 2005 to audit the findings of FETA's consultants. The preliminary findings of the audit were to be completed by the middle of December 2005, with the issue of this final report to the client setting out the findings of the audit by the end of January 2006. The purpose of this audit was to carry out a desk study of the findings of FETA's consultants and to advise the Scottish Executive as to whether those findings were reached using a process of appropriate rigour and whether the conclusions are reasonable. It was also proposed that advice be provided to the Scottish Executive whether there is scope for additional investigation that may alter the conclusions on the long term performance of the bridge.
Flint & Neill Partnership has been aware of the cable investigation works on Forth since their inception in 2002, initially as an independent advisor to the Highways Agency. When the first panel at the low point of the main span was opened up; two representatives from Flint & Neill Partnership attended and their impression at the time was of a well organised and thorough investigation. A second visit was made at a later stage when a high level panel was investigated. As a consequence of these visits, Flint & Neill Partnership was therefore familiar with the investigation methodology at the start of this audit.
Flint & Neill Partnership has engaged New York based Ammann & Whitney to act as sub-consultants providing specialist advice on the consistency of the findings with similar inspections and assessments carried out in recent years in the United States of America.