What Cass Hayward LLP does

Cass Hayward LLP is a UK-based specialist bridge engineering consultancy founded in 1983 and headquartered in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. The firm employs 24 people and has designed more than 300 bridges comprising over 800 spans since inception, focused exclusively on steel, concrete and composite bridges across highway, railway, footway, cycleway, and movable bridge types. Its core service lines are Highway Bridges, Railway Bridges, Footway and Cycleway Bridges, Movable Bridges, and Temporary Works and Bridge Erection, supported by a Bridge Engineering and Technology group that delivers Advanced Structural Analysis (track-structure interaction, dynamic, non-linear buckling, wind aerodynamics, fatigue), BIM and digital modelling, and Research & Codes of Practice. The firm is best known for its track-structure interaction analysis methods, originally developed for the Newark Dyke ECML high-speed railway bridge and subsequently adopted into the Eurocodes, and for authoring the Network Rail Underbridge Assessment Code of Practice NR/GN/CIV/025 and British Standard BS 6349-8:2007 for maritime Ro-Ro structures.

The firm generates revenue exclusively through professional engineering consulting fees, including design, assessment, checking, refurbishment design, and construction methodology advisory work, delivered via direct engagement with bridge owners, Network Rail, local authorities, ports, and Tier 1 contractors. Pricing is project-by-project and not publicly disclosed. Its primary go-to-market is enterprise field sales through reputation, repeat relationships, and technical authority rather than active marketing; the firm operates a project portfolio website and LinkedIn presence, plus a small number of named partners and Professor Roger Johnson of Warwick University as a long-standing consultant.

The firm has no subsidiaries, no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and operates solely in England and Wales. Its customer base spans Network Rail and other rail asset owners, Tier 1 contractors (Bam Nuttall, Morgan Sindall, Alun Griffiths, Hochtief UK, Buckingham Group Contracting), ports (Peel Ports), developers (IM Properties, SEGRO), local authorities (Newport, Powys, Cambridgeshire, Leeds), and the Highways Agency. Cass Hayward holds no patents and has no app, API, or software product offerings.

Name

Cass Hayward LLP

Legal name

Cass Hayward LLP

Website

https://casshayward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cass Hayward LLP is a UK specialist bridge engineering consultancy founded in 1983, employing 24 people in Chepstow. It designs steel, concrete and composite bridges across rail, highway, footway and movable types for Network Rail, local authorities, ports and contractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bridge Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Systems Engineering & Technical Program Management (BPAHAIAI)

Keywords

• Bridge engineering design
• Structural assessment consulting
• Railway bridge engineering
• Movable bridge design
• Temporary works engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Chepstow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Design Consulting: Professional engineering design services for bridge construction, reconstruction, refurbishment, and strengthening projects. Revenue is generated through consultancy fees for design, assessment, checking, and technical advisory services on infrastructure projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cass Hayward LLP is a specialist bridge engineering consultancy providing professional design, assessment, refurbishment, and construction support services for steel, concrete, and composite bridges across highway, railway, footway/cycleway, and movable bridge applications. The firm also delivers temporary works design, advanced structural analysis, BIM/digital technology services, and contributes to industry codes of practice for clients including Network Rail, local authorities, and major contractors.

Product overview

Cass Hayward LLP is a specialist bridge engineering consultancy offering comprehensive services across multiple bridge types. The core offerings include Highway Bridges, Railway Bridges, Footway and Cycleway Bridges, Movable Bridges, and Temporary Works & Bridge Erection. These are supported by specialized technology services including Bridge Engineering and Technology (covering BIM & Digital Technology, Advanced Structural Analysis, and Research & Codes), and Method Led Design. The firm has designed over 300 bridges comprising more than 800 spans since its founding in 1983, serving bridge owners, developers, and construction teams with services ranging from feasibility studies through detailed design to construction support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highway Bridges Design and engineering services for highway bridges including viaducts, river crossings, integral bridges, and other road bridge structures for highway authorities, developers, and contractors.
• Railway Bridges Specialist railway bridge engineering including underline bridges, overline bridges, station bridges, life extension, and standard design solutions for rail infrastructure owners and contractors.
• Footway and Cycleway Bridges Pedestrian and cyclist bridge design services for over-road, over-rail, and over-river applications for local authorities and developers.
• Movable Bridges Engineering services for swing bridges, bascule bridges, vertical lift bridges, retractable bridges, and roll-on roll-off structures for maritime applications and ports.
• Temporary Works and Bridge Erection Design of temporary gantries, lifting frames, sliding and launching systems, and temporary works schemes for bridge installation and demolition.
• Bridge Engineering and Technology Integrated engineering and technology services combining advanced structural analysis, research and codes of practice, BIM and digital technology, and engineering animations for bridge design and construction.
• Method Led Design Construction methodology-driven design approach optimising bridge construction sequences, temporary works, and installation techniques.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 bridges comprising over 800 spans constructed to Cass Hayward designs since 1983
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BSI (British Standards Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on development of bridge assessment codes and standards. Cass Hayward prepared NR/GN/CIV/025 limit state Underbridge Assessment Code of Practice for Network Rail, which represents significant contribution to industry standards development.
• BCSA (British Constructional Steelwork Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on structural steel design standards and awards. Participated in development of industry guidance and received multiple BCSA Structural Steel Design Awards for bridge projects.
• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary client and strategic partner for railway bridge projects. Network Rail has commissioned Cass Hayward for numerous design, assessment, and checking projects across the UK rail network. The firm has developed assessment codes and implementation documents for Network Rail.
• CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on construction industry research projects and design guides for infrastructure applications.
• SCI (Steel Construction Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on steel construction research and design guidance. Multiple joint awards for structural steel design achievements in bridge engineering.
• ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research projects and codes of practice. Multiple ICE awards received for engineering achievements including regional awards and the prestigious George Gibby Award.
• Professor Roger Johnson, Warwick UniversitycoreOthersProfessor Roger Johnson has been Consultant to Cass Hayward since formation of the firm in 1983. He is widely regarded as the world's leading researcher in composite construction and was awarded the elite Institution of Structural Engineers' Gold Medal in 2006.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global engineering consultancy formed by combining Parsons Brinckerhoff and WSP, with significant UK bridge and rail capability. Competes directly for Network Rail and highways framework work alongside Cass Hayward.
• Ramboll: Engineering consultancy with a UK bridge team and strong presence on rail, highway, and movable bridge projects. Comparable in serving the same Network Rail and public-sector clients as Cass Hayward.
• AtkinsRéalis (Atkins): Major UK-rooted engineering consultancy with a substantial rail and bridge practice serving Network Rail and major contractors. Direct competitor on UK rail bridge design and assessment commissions.
• Buro Happold: Engineering consultancy with specialist structural and bridge teams working across UK infrastructure. Competes for landmark bridge commissions and rail/highway design work in the same market as Cass Hayward.
• Arup: International engineering design firm with deep bridge expertise (e.g. Severn Crossings, HS2 civils). Competes for major UK rail and highway bridge commissions that Cass Hayward also pursues, but operates globally and across all infrastructure asset classes.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering consultancy with a long-standing UK bridge and civils practice serving Network Rail, Highways England, and major contractors. Overlaps directly with Cass Hayward on railway and highway bridge design but at vastly larger scale and with full multidisciplinary teams.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with a substantial UK bridge and rail design practice. Competes on major framework commissions and brings integrated engineering, environmental, and project management capabilities that small specialists like Cass Hayward cannot match.

Direct peers

• COWI (incl. former Flint & Neill): COWI acquired Flint & Neill, one of the UK's best-known specialist bridge engineering consultancies. Closest direct peer to Cass Hayward — both firms operate as specialist bridge consultancies competing on rail, highway, and movable bridge commissions in the UK and internationally.
• Tony Kettle Associates: UK specialist bridge and structural engineering consultancy of similar size to Cass Hayward, focused on award-winning bridge and infrastructure design. Closely comparable niche specialist competing for similar rail, highway, and pedestrian bridge commissions.
• Expedition Engineering: UK-based structural and bridge engineering consultancy known for innovative and award-winning bridge design (e.g. the Infinity Bridge). Closely comparable in scale and specialism to Cass Hayward, competing for similar high-profile bridge commissions in the UK market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CassHaywardLLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casshayward-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cass Hayward LLP