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Episode 6

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Published on:

14th Jul 2026

Steve Richardson - Delivering the Barmouth Viaduct Replacement Scheme

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Steve Richardson not only led the delivery of the two parts of the Barmouth Viaduct replacement scheme, but also played a key role in the development and planning of the scheme, selling that to the project teams, local stake holders, and crucially the ultimate client (Network Rail). With 30 years of experience in the rail industry Steve has clearly developed an invaluable understanding of construction techniques, and the delivery of complex projects. His enthusiasm for his craft shines through, as well as his exceptional ability to communicate his thoughts, ideas, and process.

If you would like to find out more about the project then have a look at the talks, paper, and articles below:

Grade II* Barmouth Viaduct timber refurbishment | Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): https://www.ice.org.uk/events/recorded-lectures/barmouth-viaduct-timber-refurbishment

Barmouth metallic reconstruction | Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): https://www.ice.org.uk/events/recorded-lectures/barmouth-metallic-reconstruction

ICE Paper: https://www.emerald.com/jcien/article-abstract/doi/10.1680/jcien.25.00461/1367799/The-replacement-of-Barmouth-viaduct-metallics-from?redirectedFrom=fulltext

https://www.tonygee.com/our-work/barmouth-viaduct

https://community.griffiths.co.uk/our_projects/barmouth-viaduct/

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/barmouth-viaduct-upgrade-in-numbers/

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About the Podcast

TalkCivils
Talking to the remarkable people that do Civil Engineering
TalkCivils is a primarily interview based podcast that explores all aspects of the hugely varied and exciting world of Civil Engineering. There is something for everyone from conversations about career paths to advice on professional development, project spotlights to discussions on national strategy, deep dives on technical topics to reviews of industry trends and emerging technology, and anything else that catches our interest along the way.

Join me as I talk to some of the remarkable people that enable this industry to provide and maintain the infrastructure that brings individuals and communities together into thriving civilisations.
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About your host

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Nicholas Lake

I'm an Associate (Engineer) at Tony Gee and Partners LLP, and passionate about Civil Engineering and the small role each of us can play in shaping the society we live in, oh and we get to play with some big toys! I was fortunate to be sponsored as an undergraduate and went on to join the Structures department full time after graduation from Imperial College with a Masters Degree (MEng ACGI) in Civil Engineering. I achieved Chartered Membership of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2020 (CEng MIStructE) and followed up with Chartered Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2026 (CEng MICE).

I have been team lead for design, checking, and assessment of permanent and temporary works for steel, concrete, and composite bridges, jacked boxes, gantries, and various other heavy civils structures. I've got particular experience in finite element analysis including buckling and dynamic analysis of structures, and modelling of structures on hydraulic support systems. My involvement with numerous successful bridge launch, move, and slide schemes has also included site support and supervision. As part of my professional training, I spent 12 months on site (2016-2017) seconded to Hochtief UK Construction where I worked on a new road over rail bridge scheme to replace the infamous Ufton Nervet Level Crossing, and then moved to a large motorway junction improvement scheme.

My primary attraction to Civil Engineering is the technical challenge of design and how these solutions can be practically, efficiently, and safely constructed. Alongside this, I take a keen interest in how we build and support exceptional teams that can deliver technical excellence. I firmly believe that this starts with great communication.