Paul Van Hagen

Principal Bridge Engineer, Hardesty & Hanover

Paul van Hagen, CEng FICE, is a Chartered Structural Engineer with a BSc from Kingston University, London, and over 34 years’ experience in the design, assessment, inspection, and construction of major, movable, and railway bridges. He has provided resident engineering services on numerous movable bridge rehabilitation and roadway reconstruction projects.

Paul spent much of his career in the New York region working for leading bridge design firms, most recently HDR.

My Sessions at Bridges 2026

Wednesday 11 March 2026

14:00

Engineering Motion on the Clyde: The Renfrew Swing Bridge

14:00 - 14:20

  • The project features a unique twin-leaf cable-stayed swing bridge designed to maintain a 90m navigational channel, utilizing complex mechanical systems—such as slewing bearings, end wedges, and bespoke expansion joints—to manage span balance and operational loads.

  • Success was driven by rigorous aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing to refine deck fairings against vibration, paired with a sophisticated logistics strategy involving global structural analysis for the fabrication and marine transport of the spans from the Netherlands.

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