20'000'000 Bricks

[Mutant Lemming]

I read somewhere that there are 20 Million bricks in the Harringworth Viaduct. Can Network Rail (or anyone else for that matter) be precise as to the actual number of bricks or is it (and will it always be) just an estimate ?

 

[telstarbox]

A while ago I asked AQA how many bricks are in Stockport viaduct, they replied "The 27-arch 33m Stockport Viaduct was built in 1839 using 11 million bricks." At the time it carried two tracks and was later doubled in width. Harringworth Viaduct has 82 arches and a maximum height of 18m, and also carries two tracks, so if AQA were approximately correct, 20 million bricks sounds at least of the right order of magnitude.

You could come up with a lower bound by working out the surface area of all the masonry one one arch and dividing by the area of the external face of a brick, then multiplying by 82 for the arches.

 

[WatcherZero]

Construction records may well exist containing the number of bricks ordered/used.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Victorian writers were very fond of quoting how many bricks a particular structure had, it makes it sound impressive. No doubt some figures were given by the engineers or contractors, but journalists aren't noted for their strict adherence to facts, then or now.

 

[CarltonA]

BR did not always know too much about their own structures. When they gave someone a contract to demolish Brackley viaduct on the Great Central it was believed not to be solid masonry but filled with rubble. It turned out to be brickwork throughout and took considerable time and effort to demolish.

 

[jopsuk]

Look around any building site mid construction and you'll find broken bricks. Exact tallys of bricks used are unlikely.

 

[michael769]

If they had said 20,752,323 bricks I might be impressed that they actually knew how many bricks there were.

20,000,000 is clearly a round figure estimate that is probably +/1 5 000 000 which is a lot...

 

[Johnuk123]

I read somewhere that there are 20 Million bricks in the Harringworth Viaduct. Can Network Rail (or anyone else for that matter) be precise as to the actual number of bricks or is it (and will it always be) just an estimate ?

That's easily solved, you can go down and count them and report back with your findings.

 

[philjo]

Out of interest - which side has the best views if travelling north over the viaduct? I'm going out of St Pancras to Derby on Sunday & the train is diverted via Corby so will be going over the viaduct.

 

[asylumxl]

Left in my experience . Views over the valley..

 

[fsmr]

Out of interest - which side has the best views if travelling north over the viaduct? I'm going out of St Pancras to Derby on Sunday & the train is diverted via Corby so will be going over the viaduct.

Oh dear more crossing delays in Oakham LOL
Must get some 125 video on manton bank

 

[SS4]

20,000,000 is only accurate to one significant figure so it's definitely rounded.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

That's easily solved, you can go down and count them and report back with your findings.

I was considering organising an event to do so. Would need to start a fund first though (would need to book a few months stay at the Swan, Harringworth and arrange for scaffolding and other associated eqipment etc). Feel free to forward any donations.

 

[Johnuk123]

I was considering organising an event to do so. Would need to start a fund first though (would need to book a few months stay at the Swan, Harringworth and arrange for scaffolding and other associated eqipment etc). Feel free to forward any donations.

I think the scaffolding and associated equipment would probably be a bit expensive.

I wonder if the National Lottery fund would be interested ?