Innovation and research and development are embodied in Mott MacDonald’s values. We are constantly striving to improve what we do and how we do it, actively seeking fresh solutions and encouraging innovation – three key objectives which enable us to deliver high quality technical and advisory services to our customers. Across the spectrum of bridge engineering, we have a reputation for combining an innovative approach with proven technology and sound management to produce winning solutions.


The Group’s professional excellence initiative is one of the major driving forces helping us to deliver innovation and research and development. As part of the initiative we hand out a series of company awards, recognising developing ideas and solutions which benefit our customers and business. Innovation is also promoted through encouraging the internal exchange of information, presentation of technical papers and awards – including our own Milne Award for solutions which help solve taxing construction problems or further the state of the art in analysis and design.

We hold posts on a number of key committees world-wide. We carry out code-drafting and research and development contracts, often in collaboration with academic institutions. Our bridges have won numerous prestigious awards over the years and have contributed to the Group’s achievement of winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 1996, 1998 and 2004.

Notable Bridge Engineering innovations that have been implemented by Mott MacDonald over recent years include:

• The development of bespoke software for the dynamic analysis of railway bridges under high speed trains, which has enabled Network Rail in the UK to adopt enhanced ballast stability acceptance criteria and hence make more efficient use of their existing bridge assets.
• Design of the first suspension bridge and deck structure to combine streamlining to minimise drag with venting to enhance stability on Hong Kong’s award-winning Tsing Ma Bridge.
• The use of a light weight, resilient rail trackform and the largest rail movement joint in the world on the Tsing Ma Bridge.
• The development of a fully automated bridge analysis-design-draughting package (BRIGIT software suite) which has given a five-fold increase in drawing production efficiency.
• The development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to investigate the aerodynamic response of long span bridges.
• Shortlands Junction, UK and Boston Central Artery Project, USA – innovative schemes to construct new underpasses beneath live railway tracks by means of incremental jacking. Both schemes have won awards for their excellence and innovation.
• A34 Newbury Bypass, UK – the first use of partnering on a major UK public works project, which is being promoted by the Highways Agency as a model for other schemes. This project also included an innovative plan to construct a new underpass beneath a live motorway using phased top-down construction

We are currently sponsoring two PhD programmes – one on integral bridges at the University of Southampton and one on railway bridge dynamics at the University of Newcastle, UK.