bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lessons in Remote Infrastructure: Connecting People and Landscape to Promote Economic Vitality & Create Social Value
Authors: Jensen Poul Ove , Svanberg Kasper , Henriksen Jesper , Holmboe Tine , Merlo Catherine
Published: February 2024

Transportation systems offer opportunities to connect rural communities with economic possibility. Intentional infrastructure interventions connect citizens with resources and reduce travel time between remote and urban areas – creating sustainable value for entire economic regions. Remote infrastructure presents a tension between creating social value without destroying environmental value.

Presenting two multi-bridge infrastructure projects in Norway and South Africa, Dissing+Weitling explores the opportunity for a design team to partner with local authorities to provide aesthetic interventions that align with environmental protection goals, increase connectivity for rural communities, and balance social value creation with the preservation of landscapes with high natural value.
Design of Multi-span Cable Stayed Bridge at Ambhora, near Nagpur, Maharashtra
Authors: Mody Nirav V. , Subbarao Harshavardhan , Bhattiprolu H. K. S. Durga Jithendra
Published: February 2024

A multi-span cable stayed bridge is proposed over river Wainganga to re-establish the state highway link from Bhandara to Butibori. The location of the bridge is an important tourist and pilgrimage destination with lush green surroundings and backwaters of Gosekhurd Dam. The bridge has an overall length of 705m and deck width of 15.25m to accommodate 2 lanes of vehicular traffic and 3m+3m footpath for pedestrians. The structural arrangement of the bridge comprises 2 modules, with Module 1 of 420m and Module 2 of 280m length with span arrangements of 70m+140m+140m+70m and 70m+140m+70m respectively. The superstructure is cable stayed with RCC deck with an RCC pylon height of 30m above deck level. The pylon P3 at the center of the bridge is also proposed with Viewing Gallery 40m above deck level which is structurally independent from the main bridge. The Module 1 of the bridge is constructed by cantilever method for pylon P2 and anchored span method for pylon P1 and P3. The Module 2 of the bridge is constructed on staging. This presentation discusses the design and construction aspects of the bridge along with staged construction analysis. This is one of the very few cable stayed bridges in India where all 3 methods of construction of a cable stayed superstructure are adopted in the same bridge.
Seismic demand assessment for 20km long Elevated Expressway in Chattogram, Bangladesh
Authors: Siddique Sabbir , Sharmin Faria
Published: February 2024

Bangladesh is surrounded by 2500km long Himalayan Frontal Thrust at North and by Indo-Myanmar Subduction zone at the East. These two fault zones are primary source of many large historic earthquakes that had occurred along the border of Bangladesh extended from North and wrapping East. The Chattogram region of Bangladesh is hilly and experiences frequent smaller earthquake shaking compare to other area of the country.

The Elevated Expressway (EEW) project being constructed from Airport to Lalkhan Bazar in Chattogram city by Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is almost 20km long elevated bridge structure made of Concrete and partly of Steel that runs through a much-crowed habitat. Due to scarcity of land at grade, the EEW is supported on single pier thus with no redundancy in Earthquake Resistance System (ERS).

Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) provides only Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) for 2475 years return period. The Country is divided into four seismic zones with PGA varies from 0.12g to 0.36g. Data required for seismic analysis of a bridge using AASHTO Code requires PGA associated with 1000 years return period, horizontal response spectral acceleration coefficients for different structural periods are not readily available in BNBC. Interpolation of data from only two available data [225yrs. from BNBC/93 and 2475 yrs. from BNBC/2020] may not reflect the correct risk scenario.

To calculate the seismic risk for EEW Project, Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis [PSHA] was done and compared with the data available in the Code to finalize seismic risk parameters for the EEW Project.
Structure of the new movable railway bridge on Pamban island
Authors: Curbelo Alberto , Ladrón de Guevara Ginés , Sanchez Jose Luis , Cabria Ángel , González Andrés
Published: February 2024

A new Tower Vertical Lift bridge on Pamban Island (India) replaces the existing “Scherzer” Rolling Bascule bridge within the railway line that connects the island to the Indian subcontinent across the Palk Strait. The lift span of the new bridge consists of a 77.5 m simply supported structure composed of two lateral steel Warren trusses of variable depth and a platform 10.3 m wide, holding two railway lines. The lift movement of the bridge is carried out through two sets of electromechanical systems placed in two towers 40 m high, located at the ends of the lift span, which hold the machinery in their upper part. The choice of this system responds to the criteria of reliability and robustness. Also, the high incidence of marine corrosion in the bridge location has been decisive in the design. The existing bridge is a national icon in South India; therefore, the aesthetic has been a fundamental condition.
Experimental study on dynamic characteristics of rubber sand mixtures
Authors: Li Zhen , Briseghella Bruno , Xue Junqing , Yang Zhengxian , Huang Fuyun
Published: February 2024

As a new type of environmentally friendly lightweight composite material, rubber sand mixture has a wide application prospect in the field of engineering vibration isolation. In order to reveal the variation law of dynamic characteristics of different rubber sand mixtures, based on the dynamic triaxial test, the effects of rubber content and confining pressure on the backbone curve, dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of mixtures were studied. The results showed that with an increase in the rubber content, the backbone curve of rubber sand mixture had a trend of ' ductile failure ' and the dynamic shear modulus of mixture decreased. The nonlinear coordinated variation could be found between the damping ratio and rubber content with a characteristic threshold of 40

%. The mechanical properties of rubber particles may be influenced by changing the type of ' skeleton structure ' inside the sample.
Gap filler to eliminate the hole play between base plate and channel bolts installed in anchor channels to sustain higher seismic loads
Authors: Mahrenholtz Christoph , Giesenbauer Sven , Sharma Akanshu , Vutha Gopal
Published: February 2024

Anchor channels are a common fastening system for attaching highly loaded base plates of non-structural and structural components to reinforced concrete structures using channel bolts. The reliability and robustness makes this fastening system also popular for seismic applications. An innovative gap filler set was developed to eliminate the gap between the base plate and the channel bolt as well as between the channel bolt and anchor channel, and thus to further improve the seismic performance. Following the introduction of anchor channels and channel bolts in the context of seismic loading, some background information is provided, and qualification as well as design is addressed. Finally, monotonic (static) and cyclic (seismic) tests on channel bolts installed without and with gap filler are presented and discussed to demonstrate the benefits of gap filling.
Functional Seismic Resilience of Reinforced Concrete Building Conforming to Indian Standards
Authors: Rafiq Joo Mohammad , Sinha Ravi
Published: February 2024

Functionality and recovery are important resilience attributes but not considered in existing building design and assessment approaches. The study presents different resilience-based metrics based on probabilistic seismic resilience assessment of an archetypical IS code-conforming reinforced concrete building to gain insight in their repair cost, functionality, and recovery performance. This study uses the performance-based earthquake engineering framework. Assessments are conducted for several intensities ranging from return periods of 50 to 9975 years. The results reveal that the IS code-conforming building meets collapse prevention and life-safety objectives. However, time for reoccupancy after a design-level event is about 13 days, while it takes 6 months for functional recovery which may not be acceptable for critical buildings. The study shows that including functionality and recovery-based objectives is essential for design of such buildings.
Material Selection for Minimum Carbon Footprint in Structural Design
Authors: Rettinger Martin , Meyer Melissa
Published: February 2024

For quantification of the environmental impact of a project, life cycle assessment is the common and suitable approach, allowing comparison of different design solutions and selection of the most advantageous option. However, as data on environmental impact is typically presented relative to arbitrary reference units, e.g., volume for concrete or tonnage for steel, direct comparison of structural performance versus environmental impact cannot be directly read from the available data. Particularly in the conceptual stages of structural design, material selection should be understood as a multi-objective optimization, where typically a wide range of criteria must be met. These criteria include structural performance such as strength and stiffness, physical properties such as density and thermal conductivity, economic factors such as local availability and cost, and now – in recent decades under the emerging thread of climate change – environmental impact and carbon footprint. For the identification of the most climate-friendly material choice for any given set of structural requirements, the authors propose a systematic approach using graphical representation of the required data of building materials commonly used in structural engineering. Analysed materials include various types of concrete from normal strength to ultra-high-performance- concrete, steel sections and strands, various types of timber, natural stone and industrially manufactured masonry units, as well as fibre reinforced polymers. Presented data is based on a thorough review and selection of life cycle assessment data, addressing gaps of knowledge in existing databases as well as systemic risks in the use of industry-average or product-specific data. With the presented graphical tools for material selection for minimum carbon footprint in structural design, the authors aim to provide the reader with a helpful tool for identification of the most climate-friendly structural solution for their given design problem.
Bridge Management Analytics Focused On Sustainability And Economic Growth
Authors: Joshi Sachidanand , Thorat Atharvi , Dehadray Harshali , Tundalwar Mayuri
Published: February 2024

The transportation sector in various countries are facing the daunting challenge of sustainable development. In recent times, bridges on the network are experiencing failure. Sufficient data is available for analysis and comparison between different bridges. Very little data is available on the contribution of the existing bridge towards economic growth over the years. Life cycle cost analysis [LCCA] for bridges is carried out before actual construction to decide on the commercial viability of bridge construction. LCCA also needs to be carried out to reflect the changes in the scenario emerging from dynamic behaviour in bridge structure. This dynamism of the bridge is captured within Global Analytics for Bridge Management [GABM]. GABM is oriented towards fulfilling the objectives of sustainability, the process also ensures economic growth. GABM has maintained the focus on rehabilitation intervention which helps in evaluation of impact on sustainability. Tangible and intangible IRR ensures sustainability is maintained without compromising economic growth.
Innovative Box girder having Footpath at Bottom of Box girder by Cantilevering Soffit slab
Authors: Arun K. V.  , Beena K. P.
Published: February 2024

Innovative structural forms for medium span bridges are a challenging effort for bridge design engineers especially in built-up area locations, where social impact plays a crucial role. Box girders are flexible forms compared to conventional ‘I’ girders, in the sense that they can have curved plan as well as varying shape of cross sections. Padaharam bridge at Alappuzha district of Kerala state is such a bridge planned, designed and under construction with superstructure having walkways/pedestrian way underneath cantilevering box girder. This ensued less land acquisition, environmental and social impact. In this paper, the planning, design, and construction of this bridge are introduced. The cross-sectional features of the box girder, the structural analysis of the superstructure and its constructional techniques are discussed in this paper.
Innovative solution for an Extradosed bridge over river Beas in Hilly Terrain of Himalayas
Authors: Mody Nirav V. , Subbarao Harshavardhan , Rizwan Shaik Mohammed
Published: February 2024

Road Network of Himachal Pradesh, a northern state in India requires number of long span bridges across valleys and rivers due to its hilly terrain. One such bridge across river Beas at Hanogi has a total length of 119.2m. Proposed span arrangement at the location of this bridge is

97.2m + 22m. National Highway (NH-3) runs perpendicular to the bridge. The bridge is located in a constrained location with approach road on one side and a hillock with NH-3 at its toe on the other side. It was proposed to build an extradosed bridge of span 97.2m with pylon only on abutment A2 side and back stay cables anchored in hillock formed of rock.

This paper presents design aspects of the extradosed superstructure and cables, back stay anchors, Abutment A2 and staged construction analysis. The construction of the bridge is carried out by cantilever method with form traveler. This paper also covers construction methodology of the superstructure, ground Improvement and stability check at abutment A2 and Hillock where the stays are anchored.

This is one of the unique extradosed bridge where long span on one side is supported by cables on single pylon and back stay cables are anchored to the rock.
A longitudinal isolation system with elastoplastic cables for single-tower cable-stayed bridges
Authors: Shichun Zhang , Zhongguo Guan
Published: February 2024

For single-tower cable-stayed bridges, a longitudinal isolation system with elastoplastic cables were proposed, and calculation expressions based on dynamic concepts were established for the design of this system. Based on the Jinsha River Bridge, a performance comparison was conducted on the elastoplastic and elastic cable systems. The girder displacements under wind and braking force, as well as the damping effects under earthquakes, were analysed for both systems with the most economical parameters. The results demonstrate that both elastoplastic and elastic cables can effectively reduce the longitudinal displacement of the girder compared to a floating system under normal service conditions. However, elastoplastic cables have a higher material utilization rate, larger restraint stiffness, and a wider range of applicable parameters than elastic cables. In addition, elastoplastic cables can effectively dissipate energy and have a better damping effect.
A Holistic Digital Design Approach for a Metro Project in Portugal
Authors: Duarte Jose R. , Duarte Filipa , Fernandes Bruno , Devedzic Zeljka , Stampler Johann , Mulavec Blaz
Published: February 2024

The Ruby Line Porto is a new 6.5 km metro project connecting the urban areas of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in northern Portugal to be built in the upcoming years till 2025.

The authors have been responsible for the design of six main work packages including the new track, new roads, five viaducts, three underpasses, one pedestrian overpass, one top-down tunnel, multiple retaining walls, and the structures of seven new stations and platforms. Due to multiple collaboration needs with other parties, a consistent digital BIM workflow with a common data structure and alignment of sub-models was of utmost importance for delivering the project successfully.

The introduction and application of a new software tool was predestined for this ambitious plan to model the quite different parts of the project in a common digital environment. The paper shows, which techniques offered by the software had to be used for successful modeling.
Effect of Slenderness on the Design of FRP reinforced Concrete Columns
Authors: Syed Ahmed Usama , Goldack Arndt
Published: February 2024

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP} bars can be a promising sustainable alternative to steel due to their low life-cycle cost and potentially low environmental impact as a reinforcement. Also due to their corrosion resistance and electromagnetic neutrality, they have attracted significant interest for use in reinforced concrete (RC} structures. This paper investigates the behaviour of FRP-reinforced concrete (FRP-RC} columns with varying slenderness ratios. The reduction in moment capacity, axial load capacity and load-moment interaction diagrams of FRP-RC columns with the increase in slenderness are studied in comparison to steel-reinforced concrete (steel-RC} columns. The study shows that guidelines and design standards such as Eurocode 2 for steel-RC pertaining to the simplified design of slender columns, slenderness limit and minimum reinforcement ratio need to be revised for FRP-RC columns.
Bridges as Built Heritage: Preservation, Reimagination, Transformation
Authors: Jensen Poul Ove , Henriksen Jesper , Holmboe Tine , Merlo Catherine
Published: February 2024

From ancient civilizations to thriving industrial cities, mobility infrastructure provides safe crossings and promotes economic vitality within both urban and rural communities. Bridges provide rituals of movement connecting users to key parts of our collective cultural identity. Built heritage is a form of placemaking – and the preservation of built heritage creates both environmental and social value.

Dissing+Weitling presents three unique projects to illustrate how cities can balance infrastructure and public safety demands with cultural heritage. Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing, Canada’s Samuel De Champlain Replacement Bridge, and Switzerland’s Zweite Hinterrheinbrücke provide examples of how bridge architecture can reinforce cultural heritage while adapting to modern safety and user needs for safe crossing – whether through ensemble, replacement, or expansion of heritage infrastructure.
Lime-red mud binders for repair of heritage structures and for CO2 sequestration
Authors: Athira V. S. , Prakash Shipin , Manohar Swathy , Suman Shaurya
Published: February 2024

Lime is an ancient building material used in the construction sector which was replaced by cement due to its superior properties. India is rich in heritage structures and they were majorly built with bricks, stones and lime mortars. The rising concern about repairing these structures has led to the revival of lime as modern materials are observed to be incompatible with traditional materials. The slow-setting properties of lime led to a sharp decline in the use of this sustainable material. Air lime sets by the process of carbonation and accelerating this process can lead to faster setting, superior properties and CO2 sequestration. This work focuses on accelerating the process with the addition of an industrial waste residue. Red mud is a waste residue from the aluminium industry that possesses disposal difficulties and is a CO2 sink due to its basic nature. The current study puts forward a novel idea of combining the two materials for effective carbonation and checking its potential to be categorised as a repair material for heritage structures. The present work will focus on substituting lime with 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% of red mud and analysing its physical, mechanical as well as CO2 uptake under natural exposure. The applicability of the developed binder can be checked by employing it as a plaster as it can provide higher thermal comfort due to its porous nature.
488 University Avenue - Toronto: Redefining possible in the vertical expansion of buildings
Authors: Morava Bujar , Love Shayne , Liang David
Published: February 2024

488 University Avenue condominium is a unique, first-ever designed and constructed 55-story tower, where 37 stories of residential units were added above an existing 18-story office building. This was made possible by an innovative structural solution assisted by extensive wind tunnel testing and the implementation of a tuned sloshing damper (TSO} system to achieve the required strength and serviceability performance targets.

In this paper, a detailed description of the structural solution implemented for this building is first presented. Then, the wind tunnel testing considered for the evaluation of the wind performance of the building is discussed with a particular focus on the assessment of wind-induced motions and their acceptability for occupant comfort. Lastly, the implementation and the as-built performance verification of the TSO are demonstrated using full-scale measurement data obtained from a long- term structural monitoring program.
Numerical modeling of rigid frame suspension composite bridge
Authors: Chenfei Wu , Wenrui Zhou , Xiaoxian Liu , Yonggao Yin
Published: February 2024

Large span continuous rigid frame bridges often suffer continuous deflection of the middle span in the service. In this paper, the rigid frame-suspension composite bridge is proposed in which main cables and hangers are adopted to support part of the beam weight at mid-span. A 70+130+80m- span bridge was selected as the case study and its finite element model was built using the software of Midas. In comparison with continuous rigid frame bridge, the rigid frame suspension composite bridge suffers significantly lower creep deflection. As the tensile force of hanger rod increases, the upper deflection value increases. The results obtained have certain reference value for the design of such composite bridges.
In-Plane Behavior of Strengthened Unreinforced Masonry Infill Walls: Experimental and Numerical Study
Authors: Bhaskar Jaya Kumar , Bhunia Dipendu
Published: February 2024

Masonry walls are often regarded as non-load-bearing components in most steel or concrete- framed buildings which effectively increases the total system's strength and stiffness when subjected to horizontal forces. This paper will discuss the experiment using reversed quasi-static cyclic sinusoidal displacement-controlled loading on the masonry infill wall and explains the outstanding ductility capability of masonry infills in Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames, as seen during cyclic experimental testing on wall specimens. The study's primary aim was to describe how the rectangular brick infill panels on RC frames behave during earthquakes. The results regarding in- plane force-displacement responses, damage evolution and energy dissipation capacity will be presented. Ultimately, the experimental tests were simulated in the software ABAQUS through a simplified modelling approach and validated against the experimental results.
Digitalization of bridge inventory via automated generation of BIM models
Authors: Hajdin Rade , Rakic Lazar , Diederich Holger , Richter Rico , Hildebrand Justus , Schulz Sebastian , Döllner Jürgen , Bednorz Jennifer
Published: February 2024

The construction of building information modeling (BIM} models for infrastructure is becoming increasingly prevalent, as it facilitates current asset management practices. Existing bridges are particularly challenging to model due to their complex geometry and missing information. Given the recent advancements in 3D surveying and artificial intelligence, new possibilities emerge for the generation of BIM models. This paper presents a novel, modular framework for an automated construction of as-is bridge BIM models from point clouds of existing bridges. Bridge element datasets were provided to train neural network. Trained neural network can identify bridge elements, which are further processed using geometric algorithms into surface and solid bridge elements. This result can be additionally enriched with information from existing databases. The final BIM models are exported in the standardized, open Industry Foundation Classes (IFC} format.
Linking BrIM to BMS for bridges – concepts
Authors: Aas-Jakobsen Ketil , Hawryszków Paweł , Joshi Sachidanand , Berton Edouard , lsailovic Dusan , Hohberg J.-Martin
Published: February 2024

Bridge lnformation Model (BrlM} is currently replacing drawings as main deliverable in new bridge project. Several use cases for BrlM over its lifetime is identified, as well as a discussion of the use case potential. Use cases include, but are not limited to, linking Bridge Management Systems (BMS} and BrlM, handling inspection data, visualizing inspection results and damage, tracking maintenance actions and structural changes. lt may also serve for the analysis of residual strength, as digital twin in structural health monitoring (conditional maintenance} and as risk-based decision-making tool for the allocation of resources.

Thus, this paper will form a basis for updates of relevant lFC classes in the BrlM data structure to facilitate seamless communication between BrlM and BMS systems. Thereby the grossly different level of detail in BrlM (individual objects}, GlS (road network} and BMS (asset portfolio}, the data aggregation and drill-down, and the portability of existing data collections are major concerns.
CROSFALL – A knowledge sharing newsletter to create a safer built environment
Authors: Bhowmick Alok
Published: February 2024

Confidential Reporting on Structural Failures and Lessons Learnt (CROSFALL) is a quarterly newsletter publication. This confidential reporting system is established in India recently by the Indian Association of Structural Engineers (IAStructE) with the objective to capture and share lessons learned from various structural failures which do not otherwise get reported and do not get the attention of the public as well as structural engineers. The intent to bring out this newsletter is to have a freely available database to be used by the construction industry to improve the safety of bridges, buildings, industrial structures, and other infrastructures of national importance. The paper will highlight the salient features of this newsletter and focus on the need for the structural engineering fraternity to contribute actively to this newsletter so that structural engineers learn important lessons from others’ mistakes and do not repeat them in their own design.
Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness of Ground Source Heat Pump for Five- Storied Office Building
Authors: Bhartiya Priyanka
Published: February 2024

Non-clean energy resources cause pollution, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, in present scenario it is very much required to use renewable energy resource as sustainable solution. Geothermal heat energy stored within the earth is one of the biggest sources of renewable energy. Shallow geothermal energy can easily be extracted using close- or open- looped geothermal systems and it is very effective for building heating or cooling purposes. Ground source heat pump (GSHP) is a closed-loop system where vertical boreholes are equipped with HDPE

/ PVC pipes (primary circuit) through which heat exchanger fluids are circulated, and when passing through boreholes they exchanges heat with surrounding ground. Heat pump is used to take out the fluids and circulate inside the building through pipes (secondary circuit) embedded in concrete floor to exchange heat with surrounding air.

A five-storied office building was studied to estimate energy requirements for heating and cooling demands in summer and winter for sizing GSHP using Energy-Plus software. Climatic and soil conditions for ten different metropolitan cities located mostly in tropical regions were considered. Using Ground Loop Design (GLD) software design of GSHP system was done based on energy demand of the building. A comparison of GHSP system design for the building in different cities and cost analysis are discussed. It is observed that the cost and performance of GSHP depends on several factors such as energy load demand, soil conductivity, and climatic condition.
Structural Rehabilitation of Viaduct Cernicchiara
Authors: Fanigliulo Francesco
Published: February 2024

Structural rehabilitation of existing bridges and viaducts as an environmental sustainability effort. It is frequently possible to execute activities aimed at reaching new safety standards on existing structures: not only does this promote decarbonisation in terms of sustainability, but it also prevents the production of large quantities of waste material.

The article covers the rehabilitation of a 1962 viaduct in Salerno, Italy, made of reinforced concrete cast-in-situ and therefore subject to notable realization issues. The existing structure’s analysis and the rehabilitation technique adopted (CFRP reinforcement of beams and arches) made it possible to adapt the structure to new mobile and seismic loads.
Multi-faceted Approach to School Earthquake Safety in Westernmost Nepal
Authors: Kumar Hari , Joshi Dinesh , Cedillos Veronica , Ojha Upama , Rodgers Janise , Stenner Heidi
Published: February 2024

Nepal lies along the Himalayas, one of the most seismically active areas in the world. Westernmost Nepal is of particular concern as stress has been building up in this region since the last major earthquake occurred over 500 years ago. In addition, the population is growing rapidly, earthquake risk awareness is low, and earthquake-resistant construction practices are not typically followed.

Assessments show that an overwhelming number of school buildings are seismically vulnerable. Given limited resources and the vast number of collapse-prone school buildings, a multi-faceted approach is needed to protect schoolchildren. This includes building new earthquake-resistant school buildings, strengthening existing ones when feasible, and implementing interim solutions when the first two options are not possible in the near term. Interim solutions become particularly important in remote areas like westernmost Nepal, where limited retrofit programs exist.
83.92 m Wide Rail Over Bridge – Chipiyana, Gautam Buddha Nagar, UP, India
Authors: Gupta Satyam
Published: February 2024

The paper deals with the planning, design & construction of the widest Rail Over Bridge (ROB) at Railway km. 1429/6-8 between Ghaziabad & Maripat Railway Station on NH-24 at km. 20+213 at Chipiyana, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. This ROB is a part of package-II of India’s widest, 96 km long, access-controlled Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME). There is an existing ROB of width 23 m & 60o skew to the main expressway alignment. To provide additional lanes of expressway, new bridges are constructed on the left and right sides of existing ROB. Existing ROB will serve as the carriageway for DME leading to sustainability by utilizing the existing resources. The ROB comprises four new carriageways with three long spans consisting of 115 m steel truss, 74,410 m (61,574o skew) & 66,375 m (58,352o skew) SCC superstructures. This ROB has achieved various milestones such as Launching of 76 m long steel girder assembly, the fabrication & launching of 115 m long steel truss and the construction of 50 m wide portal frame type substructures in an exceptionally high skew angle of around 60o.
Optimal Solution for shallow tunnel at Dwarka expressway
Authors: Mody Nirav V. , Sawant Mangesh M. , Kavthankar Atul S.
Published: February 2024

Dwarka Expressway also known as Northern Peripheral Road {NPR) was proposed to be developed as northern ring road thereby providing additional connectivity between Gurgaon and Delhi apart from NH 8, Old Delhi Road, and MG Road. This paper presents Design and Construction aspects of the Shallow Tunnel, an integral segment of the Dwarka Expressway, connecting Shiv Murti Interchange to RUB {CH 1+200 to CH 4+800). The paper focuses on the optimization of construction sequence and its consequential impact on material saving and reduced carbon footprint thereof.

Study carried out demonstrates significant reductions in concrete, steel, and energy consumption. An improved construction sequence leads to cost savings and reduced construction duration but also lowers the project's environmental footprint.
Analysis of a cross-section of a steel-concrete composite beam
Authors: Vaňová Patrícia , Dubecký Daniel , Weissova Michala , Kvočák Vincent
Published: February 2024

Steel-concrete composite bridges with encased continuous shear connectors are constructions in which the basic mechanical advantages of both materials are effectively used. The cross-section of a steel-concrete composite short-span road bridges is usually of rectangular shape. This paper presents an analysis of such cross-section in order to adjust the ratio and amount of material to make it more environmentally friendly and economic and therefore sustainable. It compares the analytical as well as experimental resistance and displacement of a rectangular and lightened beam cross-section with regards to the amount of materials used.
The usage of Polymer-based materials in Civil Engineering
Authors: Weissova Michala , Kvočák Vincent , Dubecký Daniel , Vaňová Patrícia
Published: February 2024

This paper aims to show the advantages and disadvantages of the usage of polymer materials. The properties will be demonstrated in the experiment designed in the Laboratory of Excellent Research at the Technical University of Kosice, which cooperates with the faculty of civil engineering. Materials based on polymers are often used in the world, for example in mechanical engineering, aeroplanes structures, prosthetic medicine, etcetera. The effective adoption of polymer materials in civil engineering is important. These materials have properties such as corrosion and humidity resistance, and flexibility, while at the same time maintaining their physical form. They can provide all this at 10% of the weight compared to steel.
Structural performance assessment of post-tensioned concrete beams by embedded continuous fibre optics
Authors: Ekström Daniel , Rempling Rasmus , Fernandez Ignasi , Gil Carlos
Published: February 2024

Prestressed concrete structures have numerous advantages over conventionally reinforced concrete, though the usage of post-tensioned structures has declined over the last two decades. By distributed optical fibre sensors, key performance indicators of the post-tensioned concrete specimens were monitored and evaluated. Initial losses and long-term effects affecting prestressing force, deflections and cracks were tracked and compared to theoretical calculation methods. It was found that the theoretical calculation methods mostly agreed well with results from the distributed optic fibre sensors. The loss of prestressing force due to mechanical creep and relaxation was overestimated in theoretical calculation methods by approximately 6 %, while the loss due to friction was overestimated by 0.6 %. Regarding deflections, the relative error ranged from 0 % to

3.3 % and 0 % to 2.9 % for the reference specimen and post-tensioned beam respectively.
Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers (IIBE) for Sustainable Construction of Bridges
Authors: Gupta Vinay
Published: February 2024

IIBE (Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers) has been proactive in the field of promoting sustainable bridge engineering for the past 33 years in India. In fact, IIBE is the only professional body dedicated to bridge engineering only. Among the various knowledge dissemination events, it has been organizing webinars, conferences, panel discussions, workshops, technical visits, etcetera. One of the annual flagship events of IIBE is BRIDGExxx (Year no). First one of its series was started in 2018 in Lucknow (BRIDGE 2018) with over 300 participants. Later in Patna with over 400 participants in 2019 (BRIDGE 2020). In the years 2020 and 2021, they were organized as webinars. In 2022, it was organized in Pune (BRIDGE 2022) with about 300 participants. BRIDGE 2023 is held in Hyderabad. One of the main focuses is reduced construction time, reduced carbon footprint, conservation of natural resources, conservation of environment, etcetera all leading to sustainable construction of bridges.
Case Study On Re-Use Of Dismantled Concrete Drain In A Highway Widening Project Of India
Authors: Bhattacharyya Runal Kanti , Bose Monali
Published: February 2024

The world needs a sustainable and climate resilient construction practices because of the desire to reduce environmental pollutions, save natural resources, reducing health hazards, minimize waste and save the project cost.

Environment scientists are saying that use of natural resources is one of the greatest sustainability challenges of the 21st century, means a commitment of finding and implementing efficient construction practices are to be developed by the engineers for a sustainable future.

One of such engineering initiative undertaken is narrated as case study of re-using the dismantled concrete drain in a highway widening project of India is thus undertaken to exemplify and motivate the engineers to adopt a smart and environmentally-conscious choice of saving the resources.
Residual Fatigue Strength Assessment & Rehabilitation of Rajendra Setu, Mokama, India-Case Study
Authors: Singla Jatin , Sengupta Sumantra
Published: February 2024

Rajendra Setu (Rail Cum Road Mokama Bridge) was constructed in 1959 over river Ganga on NH-31 is of Span 3 x18,30m + 2 x 30,50m +14 x 121m + 2x30,5 m + 3x18,3m. The bridge was originally designed for BGML loading at railway level and 2-Lane Class A or 1-Lane Class AA at roadway level. East Central Railway intends to use the train for 25T – 2008 loading which is of higher loading standard than it was originally designed for and wanted to check the residual fatigue strength and to do the necessary modification for this purpose. This paper presents the steps followed for assessing the residual fatigue strength of the truss members and the railway & roadway floor system, i.e. the railway stringers & its connections and roadway stringers. The reason for the damage of the connection of the railway central stringers with rail cross are also assessed and presented in the paper along with its remedial measures.
Construction of New Brahmaputra Bridge & Road works near Tezpur- an insight…
Authors: Das Anupam
Published: February 2024

This Project comprises of 4-Laning of highway (NH-37A) of total length 17.30 km, from Kaliabor Tiniali (at Nagaon District) to Dolabari Junction (at Sonitpur District) in the state of Assam, including construction of New Brahmaputra Bridge of 3.040 Km length , with the aim to create 4- lane connectivity to Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Bridging the mighty & ferocious river Brahmaputra is a great challenge in itself. In this paper, regarding construction of New Brahmaputra Bridge, the technical features, methodology, major quantities, challenges encountered & engineering solutions adopted like, seasonal change in the course of river and water depth at different locations resulted in change in construction methodology and materials / plant & machineries movements to desired locations, hindrances encountered during the execution of well foundations & innovativeness in design concept were discussed.
Image analysis of concrete surface for investigating the influence of aggregate distribution and load induced damage on the chloride permeability of concrete measured using RCPT (ASTM C1202)
Authors: Mishra Pankaj , Sarfaraz Aamna , Misra Sudhir , Harish K. V.
Published: February 2024

In the present study, the influence of aggregate distribution and load induced damage on chloride permeability of the concrete, was investigated using image analysis of concrete surface. Two mixes of water to cement ratio of 0.45 and 0.55 were used. Chloride permeability of the concrete, measured using RCPT (ASTM C1202), was modelled considering the three phases- mortar, coarse aggregate and ITZ. Image analysis program Image} was employed to analyse the geometrical parameters of the aggregates and load induced damage measured at the concrete surface. Damage in concrete disc specimen (dia. 100 mm and depth 50 mm) were introduced using compressive and splitting tensile stress. Results showed that the prediction of chloride permeability, based on 3 phase modelling, agreed well with the experimental data. The present approach can be utilized for quick and economical assessment of in-situ concrete durability and local variations due to the influence of aggregate distribution and load induced cracks.
Failure Analysis: Shallow and Deep Causes Assessment Methodology
Authors: Rus Laurent , Moreno Carlos , Shahid Shaikh Mohammad Arif , Shahid Arif , Ahmed Iftekhar , Chowdhury Tapas
Published: February 2024

The ability to identify the underlying cause(s) of a structural failure is of essence for the improvement of structural civil engineering practice, and for the structural performance and its resiliency against extreme load and climate conditions. This ability requires forensic expertise along with rigorous and systematic approach due to multiple nature of the potential causes. This paper presents two (2) complementary forensic investigation approaches (Top-Down and Bottom-Up approaches) that will allow engineers to identify the shallow and deep causes and the triggering effect of a structural failure.

While these approaches are complementary, each of them will be best suited for specific failure analysis scenarios that will depend on the severity (extent versus intensity) of the observed damage/pathology.
Embodied Energy and Urban Infrastructure: Mitigating Impact of Climate Change
Authors: Roy B. C. , Bhattacharyya S.
Published: February 2024

Urban growth demands sustainable residential, commercial, heritage, and transit infrastructure. Urban planning requires local knowledge, data, horizon year selection, and land use flexibility. Urban designers prioritise architecture, local resources, public input, and affordability. From extraction and refinement to marketing and disposal, embodied energy is defined as the sum of energy inputs (fuels/power, materials, human resources, etc.). Better amenities use more energy, whereas sustainability lowers embodied energy. Green development would never get ‘Greener’, rather go less red. Brownfield development revitalises abandoned factories, military locations, transportation infrastructure, Go-Downs, etc.
Seismic Resilience Assessment of Aging Highway Bridge Considering Climate Change Effects
Authors: Chirdeep N. R.  , Bahurudeen A.  , Shekhar Shivang
Published: February 2024

The impact of climate change due to increasing global warming may negatively influence the performance of reinforced concrete (RC} bridges. In addition to being continuously exposed to unfavorable climatic conditions, bridges in India are also prone to earthquake-induced damage. This study provides a methodology for time-dependent seismic resilience assessment of aging highway bridges considering climate change effects. Nonlinear time-history analyses are conducted to develop seismic fragility curves at different points in time. These results are utilized to estimate seismic losses that are combined with recovery models to estimate the functionality and resilience of aging highway bridge considering climate change effects. The results reveal a declining trend in the resilience of the bridge after taking climate change into account, underlining the significance of considering climate change when evaluating the lifetime seismic resilience of older bridges.
The New IRC Guidelines for Cable Stayed Bridges in India
Authors: Tandon Mahesh
Published: February 2024

The Indian Roads Congress (IRC), the official body that is responsible for Roads and Bridges in the country and represents the think tank on the subject, constituted a body of experts to formulate Guidelines for the design and construction of Cable-Stayed Bridges. This paper summarizes the contents of the Guidelines. Currently, there are some 38 Cable-Stayed Bridges existing or under construction in India and most of them feature in one way or the other in the Guidelines. Brief details of these bridges appear in the Appendix of the Guidelines.
Advantage of 4th Generation Modular Joint from life cycle cost point of view – a case study
Authors: Ghosh Chinmoy , Majumdar Santanu , Ghosh Arijit
Published: February 2024

While the design life of a bridge is generally estimated to be around 100 years, an important component of the bridge, viz. expansion joints have a much shorter service life – typically between 10 to 20 years. Therefore, expansion joints need to be replaced quite a few times during the service life of the bridge. The total cost of ownership (TCO} of a product is defined by the sum of all the costs incurred by the owner at different stages, i.e., initial procurement and installation cost, regular inspection & maintenance cost and possible replacement cost involving engineering, project management, cost of new expansion joints and auxiliary civil works. Replacement of expansion joints not only forms the biggest component of TCO, but it also involves hardships to the bridge users during the replacement work which might need one or multiple lane closures, if not closure of the entire bridge, causing intangible cost of ownership. As such the bridge owners need to exercise discretion during selection of the product to ensure minimum number of replacements during the service life of the bridge and minimise the closure during the replacement work to keep a check on TCO and possibly on reduced collection of toll revenue.

4th Generation Modular Expansion Joints addresses the aforesaid issues with longer time interval between replacement work (> 15 years}, minimum interruption to traffic during replacement and thus minimal loss of revenue due to possibility of a quick replacement work. Recently the Modular Expansion Joints on the major bridge over river Sone in the Indian state of Bihar was refurbished within a very short time, minimising traffic interruption, thanks to the detailing of the modular expansion joint.
Semi Integral Structures - Mauritius Light Rail Transit System
Authors: Surati Venkateswararao , Chaudhary Navin Kumar
Published: February 2024

Government of Mauritius (GoM) intends to provide a world class, sustainable public transport solution in the form of light rail system and associated works, to serve commuters travelling from the Curepipe to Port Louis. The corridor from Curepipe to Port Louis serves as one of the fastest growing areas in Mauritius and that will be of increasing importance to the country's future economic development strategy and prosperity. To enhance the economic development, urban sustainability, social amenity, and desirability of the area, it is imperial to improve upon the public transportation provision, connectivity, and accessibility, to reduce traffic congestion and to provide a mode shift from private to public transportation use.