A civil engineer for 40 years, Phil Tindall was an expert in bridges and related highways works. This included extensive experience leading design teams on innovative and challenging schemes including design, maintenance and strengthening of major bridges and the renovation of historic bridges.

Phil was committed to the development of learning and practice and chaired the British Standards Committee B525/0 on the structural use of aluminium. He was the UK representative on the committee responsible for Eurocode 9 and was a member of the BSI committee on welding. Phil also contributed to the “ICE Manual of Bridge Engineering” (second edition) 2008.

Some of Phil’s most notable projects included the temporary Wynard Crossing double bascule in Auckland harbour, New Zealand; the A40 Western Avenue Bridge Replacement, Ealing; Te Wero Bridge, Auckland, New Zealand; Westminster Bridge, London; JiZhao Bridge, Tianjin, China; West Gate Bridge, Melbourne, Australia; Menai Suspension Bridge; and Rochester Bridge in Kent.

In 2007 Phil was appointed UK Technical Director Bridges at Hyder, and for several years acted as the Bridge Engineer to the Rochester Bridge Trust, following in the footsteps of former post holders such as Thomas Telford, John Rennie, Sir William Cubitt and Sir Basil Mott.

During his time with the Trust, Phil was one of the driving forces behind the initial planning for the Rochester Bridge Refurbishment Project of 2019-20. He was the civil engineer who laid the groundwork (or should that be paperwork) that culminated in the 18-month refurbishment which finished on time and to budget. Phil retired before ground was broken and sadly passed away in 2019, before he was able to see the project completed, but his legacy was seen throughout the works.

He was very well respected by staff and trustees alike and is fondly remembered and missed as a key part of the extended team. With his family’s agreement, in 2023 the Trust launched the Phil Tindall Memorial Medal, celebrating Phil’s particular strength in mentoring young colleagues and preparing them for excellence in the field.