Bernard Wex

Bernard Patrick Wex OBE (24 April 1922-31 July 1990) was an English civil engineer particularly associated with the design of bridges.

Early life and education[]

Wex was born on 24 April 1922 in Acton, Middlesex, son of Julius Ernest Peter Wex, a German lace merchant of Regent Street,^[1] and wife Gertrude. He attended Acton Grammar School,^[2] and graduated from Sandhurst in 1942.^[3]

Wex wanted to become a pilot, but a minor eye defect precluded him from the RAF; he was commissioned in 1943 and spent the next 4 years as a tank commander with the 23rd Hussars.^[4]

Career[]

Wex graduated with first-class honors in civil engineering from London's Imperial College in 1951,^[3] then joined the firm of Freeman Fox, working under the bridge designer Gilbert Roberts. Wex was involved in the design of several important bridges under the guidance of Roberts and, later, Oleg Kerensky.^[5] He was involved during his career in the design of the Auckland Harbour, Forth, Severn, Ganga and Brahmatputra bridges.^[3]

He is best known as the civil engineer who in 1964 designed the Humber Bridge,^[6][7][8] which was opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1981 as the world's then longest single span bridge.^[9] He also designed the Myton bridge in Hull and the Foyle Bridge in Derry.^[3]

He was honoured in 1982 by the Queen, who made him an officer of the Order of the British Empire.^[5] In 1985 Wex was awarded the Telford Medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers.^{[citation needed]}

Wex chaired the Committee of Enquiry into the March 1969 collapse of the Emley Moor television mast, and was the first chairman of the Steel Construction Institute in 1986.^[10][3]

Death[]

Wex died on 31 July 1990 of leukaemia.^[11][3]

References[]