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Heritage tourism depends on a physical resource based primarily on listed buildings and scheduled monuments. Visiting or staying in a historic building provides a rich tourism experience, but historic environments date from eras when access for disabled people was not a consideration. Current UK Government policy now promotes social inclusion via an array of equal opportunities, widening participation and anti‐discrimination policies. Historic environments enjoy considerable legislative protection from adverse change, but now need to balance conservation with public access for all. This paper discusses the basis of research being undertaken by The College of Estate Management funded by the Mercers Company of London and the Harold Samuel Trust. It assesses how the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act has changed the legal obligations of owners/operators in managing access to listed buildings in tourism use. It also examines the key stakeholders and power structures in the management of historic buildings and distinguishes other important players in the management process.

In April 2004, a scanning tour of Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France was made to obtain information about bridge construction methods being used to minimize traffic disruption, improve work zone safety, minimize environmental impact, improve constructibility, increase quality, and lower life-cycle costs. From information obtained from the tour, 10 technologies were identified for further consideration and possible implementation into U.S. practices. These included two technologies that allow bridges to be built off site and then moved to their final location in a short time, three superstructure systems and four deck systems that facilitate faster and safer construction, and one substructure system. The two technologies for moving bridges were self-propelled modular transporters and other moving systems, including skidding or sliding, incremental launching, floating, rotating, and lifting of bridges into place. The superstructure systems included a precast concrete deck system known as the Poutre Dalle system, the use of partial-depth concrete decks prefabricated on steel or concrete beams, and U-shaped precast concrete segments with transverse ribs. The deck systems involved full-depth prefabricated concrete decks, special cast-in-place closure joint details, hybrid steel–concrete deck systems, and a multiple-level corrosion protection system. The substructure system consisted of stay-in-place precast concrete panels that serve as both formwork and structural elements for solid and hollow bridge piers.

Note: Whereas Reference 4 refers to "basic principles," Reference 5 applies to "advanced principles" in connection with continuity, ultimate design, building codes, structural steel and so forth.

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