Highway Bridge Design Specification by National Association of Australian State Road Authorities.

Highway Bridge Design Specification by National Association of Australian State Road Authorities. Hardcover book (no dust jacket) published by Association of Australian State Road Authorities 1965.

Building bridges is what this book is all about.  But it’s not to be filed in the self help or new age categories, as it’s not that sort of bridge.  DIY.  Mmmm, I’m not sure how many people would count bridge building of this sort as a hobby/home activity… but there’s bound to be someone out there into building bridges… highway bridges that is… not the other sort of which there are a plenty. 

1965 was a few years ago, so maybe what i really need to consider is DIY people that are into making historically accurate bridges of the 1960s… or maybe someone with a bridge collection (“This is my Australian Highway Bridge from the 1960s.”).  As I write all this, it’s getting harder to figure out who would be interested in this book.  Maybe I need to find books about building the other sort of bridges.

This particular copy has a number of penciled notes and even a whole extra page of extensive scribblings stuck into it.  It’s obviously been used and by the looks of it, seriously used.  No weekend bridge building here, this is the big stuff.  I like finding notes etc in technical manuals.  To me it’s an indicator that the book has served the purpose that it was printed for and wasn’t just a pretty book for the shelf.  Then again what if the penciled information is incorrect and someone builds a bridge based on someone elses incorrect comment about concrete strengths.  This could cause trouble.