Walkers recruited to wobble bridge

A Hundred people were asked to walk across the Millennium Bridge yesterday as the engineers continued their quest to find out what makes it wobble.

A Hundred people were asked to walk across the Millennium Bridge yesterday as the engineers continued their quest to find out what makes it wobble.

Overhead cameras monitored their progress and some had electronic switches inserted into the soles of their shoes to record their paces. Ove Arup, the engineering firm responsible for the bridge, which was opened on 11 June and closed less than 48 hours later, set up shaker machines to add to the movement, in case the people did not create enough wobble. The walkers have been told to walk at different paces, sometimes in the same direction, sometimes in opposite ways.

All possible variations were being covered, including placing dustbin lids on the bridge to simulate a person standing reading a map.