bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Presentation of the French Project DéCoF-Ré
Authors: Bouteiller Véronique , Bourreau Lucas , Gaillet Laurent , Schoefs Franck , Thauvin Benoît , Schneider Julien
Published: February 2021

Relevant knowledge on the state of reinforced concrete is the basis for the successful management and maintenance of structures such as civil engineering bridges. To provide further analysis and answers in the durability of reinforced concrete bridges, IFSTTAR (coordinator), Cerema, Nantes University and Capacité SAS, SIXENSE-Concrete Company and the Département de la Charente- Maritime have contributed and funded a collaborative research project from 2015 to 2018. The French Project DéCoF-Ré meaning Decision Corrosion and Reliability of the ile de Ré Bridge has two main objectives. The first objective is to perform a reliable corrosion diagnosis of the piers of a bridge in a marine environment by means of non-destructive tests such as half-cell potential and resistivity. The second objective is to determine the durability of the concrete cover of the piers in terms of durability indicators. The aim of this paper is to present the Project DéCoF-Ré and to give some preliminary results.
Added Value of Chloride Measurement on Wharves from SHM: a Case Study of iMareco2 Project
Authors: Schoefs Franck , Oumouni Mestapha , Lecieux Yann , Lupi Cyril , Roche Michel , Leduc Dominique , Gaillard Virginie , Follut Dominique , Lijour Pascal , Labégorre Marc
Published: February 2021

With 80% of European trade exchange and a key role for European defense, harbours play a key socio- economic role. Inspection of wharves is very expensive due to the relative inaccessibility of components (need of a boat, team …) and the economical impact (service breakdown). Harbor concrete structures are designed to fulfill their function during a long time period (50 to 70 years). For RC structures exposed to marine environments, chloride-induced corrosion leads to deteriorations that can be associated to different exposure conditions: tidal, splash and atmospheric. The on-site assessment of the corrosion condition of the reinforcement in concrete relies on a corrosion diagnosis, which consists in different techniques and among them non destructive techniques (NDT )such as half-cell potential, resistivity and corrosion measurements. Thus the added value of SHM and accelerated tests in laboratory can be analyzed by comparing the maintenance with SHM with an optimized maintenance planning based on NDT.
Lifecycle Assessment of Different Constructive Solutions in Aggressive Maritime Environments - Application to the Viaduct of the Oil Terminal of the Port of Leixões
Authors: Gomes de Sá Carlos Miguel , Campos e Matos José
Published: February 2021

The maritime environment is one of the most aggressive for infrastructures. This type of exposure affects severely the durability of any infrastructure, if proper preventive measures are not taken into account.

In the construction of new structures one of the most important factors to take into account is the ratio cost / durability. This way, it is intended to make a study of two different structural solutions, as well as an analysis of their life cycles, for the viaduct of the oil tanker terminal of port of Leixões, in Portugal, since the current structure has reached the end of its life cycle after 50 years. It will be then designed a solution of precast and pre-stressed reinforced concrete beams with a reinforced concrete slab, and another solution with steel beams with a reinforced concrete slab. The new structure will be designed according to current regulations, which are developed in a way that such structures should reach a service life of 100 years.

It is expected that this study will be able to provide a solution that is economically viable for the replacement of the viaduct, and where it is possible to reach the expected life time of 100 years with the lowest possible cost.
Statistical Characterisation of Chloride Ingress Parameters from Normal and Accelerated Tests
Authors: Tran Thanh-Binh , Bastidas-Arteaga Emilio , Schoefs Franck
Published: February 2021

Chloride ingress into concrete is frequently recognized as a main cause leading to important damages in reinforced concrete structures. In natural conditions, chloride penetration into concrete is a very slow process and requires significant time to reach a considerable level of chloride content in RC structures. Hence, this fact leads to the difficulties in long-term lifetime assessment of RC structures under chloride attack. In laboratory conditions, accelerated tests could speed up the chloride ingress rate and give data on mid- and long-term of chloride penetration process. Once the equivalent time in accelerated tests is determined these data could be used for further analysis. This study proposes an approach based on Bayesian Network that allows statistical determination of chloride ingress parameters from normal and accelerated data. These parameters could provide a more reliable prediction of probability of corrosion initiation.
Durability Design of the Concrete Caissons for the Artificial Peninsula of Monaco Territory
Authors: Crémona Christian , Jeusset Matthieu , Vallée Christophe , Voltz Dominique , Zouhny Basma
Published: February 2021

The construction of an artificial peninsula extending the Monaco territory is destined to create an urban area of 6 hectares. The project requires the prefabrication of 18 caissons which will constitute the maritime infrastructure of the extension at sea. Due to the construction process, the caissons’ rafts and the walls will be exposed to chlorides at early ages: 5 days for rafts and 3 days for walls. A performance-based approach has been retained for all the concrete works of the maritime infrastructure. This approach implies to justify a 100-years lifetime. The paper will present the extensive natural and accelerated migration tests that have been performed to prove the appropriate durability of the concrete caissons, and the consequent provisions (concrete cover, protective coating) to prevent any loss of durability due to early age exposure.
FLOATGEN – Design and Construction of the First Floating Wind Turbine in France
Authors: Jestin Nicolas , Modiano Perceval , Bigard Régis , Crémona Christian , Dumas Bertrand
Published: February 2021

FLOATGEN is France’s first 2 MW offshore floating turbine which will be located off Le Croisic, in Brittany. The turbine will be operated for a period of two years and the generated electricity will be fed into the national power grid. The floating foundation used for FLOATGEN is a patented square ring-shaped foundation system, open in its centre and known as the Damping Pool®; it will provide optimal stability at low cost. This floating foundation is held on-site by means of a mooring system consisting of double mooring lines at the front and double mooring lines on each side at the rear. The floating pontoon is a C55/67 self-compacting light concrete that is reinforced and prestressed. The structure has been built in the Saint-Nazaire harbour on three connected floating barges. The paper describes the main research, design and erection issues, as well as the launching process and the installation of the wind tower.
Sydney Metro Cable Stayed Bridge, a Meeting of Precast Segmental Concrete and Cable Stayed Construction Technology
Authors: Anderson John , Jefferson David , Hanekom Derik
Published: February 2021

Sydney Metro’s expansion into the north west of the city has recently included the construction of

4.5 km of elevated viaduct that includes a one of kind cable rail bridge. Set out on a 403 m horizontal radius with a 130 m long main span, the bridge’s prestressed precast concrete segmental deck is supported by a single plane of cables. An integral part of the design challenge was the need to construct the bridge using the same overhead gantry used to construct the simply support spans on the main viaduct. Using the gantry, the three span structure was first built as a continuous girder supported on the four permanent supports with five temporary supports. The deck sections were erected as a series of cantilevers, then connected into a continuous girder and finally, after the release of the temporary supports, converted into a cable supported structure. A feature of the design was the staging of the deck prestressing that avoided removing strand installed during a previous stage as the bridge metamorphized from a seven-span structure to a three-span structure.
New Metro Infrastructures Projects: “From design to long-term reliable operation”
Authors: Collin Bertrand , Galléa Floriane , Carreaud Pierre , Lançon Hervé , De Mengin Mickaël
Published: February 2021

Over the last ten years, a significant number of new underground metro infrastructures projects have been initiated worldwide. Most of these huge, strategic and costly projects are located into fast developing or dense urban areas, facing thus important challenges: interactions with existing buildings, safety risks for the population, validation of innovative construction processes, environmental issues and long-term serviceability. This paper aims to illustrate some of innovative concepts, methods and assessment devices benefit recent projects in addressing some of these important issues.
Erection Engineering of the Skytrain Cable Stayed Bridge
Authors: Khan Sameer , Kapos George , Nabeel Omar , Tykocki Marcin
Published: February 2021

Selected details related with the development of erection engineering for a highly complex cable stayed bridge for the Sydney Metro North West (SMN), Skytrain section, in Australia are presented. An overview is provided of some of the key architectural and technical constraints that underpinned the erection options of the precast (PC) post-tensioned segmental structure. Options for the erection of the superstructure and the steel-concrete composite pylons are briefly discussed with the focus on an innovative hybrid option combining the free cantilever technique with span-by-span erection of the superstructure using an overhead gantry. The importance of staged construction simulation is discussed and some of the key parameters to which it may be sensitive to are outlined. The implementation of a robust protocol for monitoring and updating the evolving structural geometry during erection and the use of the simulation for verification and validation are discussed.
Building Bridges using Thin-walled Pre-fabricated Elements
Authors: Kollegger Johann , Fasching Stephan
Published: February 2021

An application of a new construction method using thin-walled pre-fabricated concrete elements in a bridge project in Austria is shown. For the erection of the bridge across the river Lafnitz U-shaped bridge girders are produced from thin-walled pre-fabricated concrete elements, moved to their final position and filled with pumped concrete.

To also use thin-walled pre-fabricated concrete elements for the erection of box girder bridges, a new construction method was recently proposed, where segments of a box girder are produced from such elements. These segments are then connected to each other with the aid of post- tensioning tendons forming a bridge girder, which is moved to its final position with a construction method as for example incremental launching or the balanced lift method. In the final position pumped in-situ concrete is added first to the flanges and then to the webs.

It will be shown in the paper, that this approach is advantageous for bridge construction methods, which show a large difference in the bending moment distribution along the bridge girder during the individual construction stages and the final state. Due to this fact, the required amounts of concrete, reinforcement and post-tensioning tendons can be reduced, and more efficient bridge structures can be produced.
Span by Span Segmental Construction: OPS Impact in the LG50-S Laguna Case
Authors: Pacheco Pedro , Resende André , Torres Alberto , Coelho Hugo
Published: February 2021

The LG50-S is an overhead movable Launching Gantry (LG) designed for segmental span by span construction of bridge decks. This machine operated in the construction of both East and West viaducts of the Anita Garibaldi Bridge in Laguna, Brazil. A total of 43 spans were built, each one with a length of 50m, composed by 14 segments weighting around 90 tons each. The LG50-S was the first launching gantry equipped with Organic Prestressing System (OPS), an actively controlled prestressing system set to partially compensate further girder deformation during segment positioning, therefore resulting in minimum deviation in altimetric alignment. Consequently, dependency on the deck geometry control system and the costs associated to its use, were significantly reduced. The incorporation of the OPS system led to significant advantages on productivity, enabling to finish the construction of the viaducts ahead of schedule.
The Challenges of a Cyclonic Region for the Construction of a Viaduct with a Launching Girder
Authors: Revuz Julia , Simon Antoine , Duclos Thierry , Leonard Romain , Flamand Olivier
Published: February 2021

The construction of the viaduct of the Nouvelle Route du Littoral (NRL) connecting Saint-Denis to La Grande Chaloupe in La Reunion is particularly challenging in terms of wind environment. In addition to being built in a cyclonic region, the 5.4 km long viaduct is being built in open sea, at 100 to 150 meters from the coast. The gust wind speed can go up to 64 m/s at deck level during a cyclone event. The height (10 meters) and length (270 meters) of the double truss launching girder makes it particularly sensitive to turbulent wind and induces significant additional wind load on the viaduct and the cantilever at construction during a cyclonic event. The 120-meter-long span and relatively large width (28 meters) of the deck also play an important part in the dynamic response of the whole.

The paper will first present how the local wind conditions and the aerodynamic properties of the deck and the launching girder were determined. The methodology used to perform the time history simulations of the viaduct during construction phase will then be described, as well as the main results for one of the studied configurations.
A Particular Studies Management for an Unusual Bridge Project at Sea at la Réunion Island
Authors: Leonard Romain , Duclos Thierry , Causse Gilles , Compte David
Published: February 2021

The project of the New Coastal Road (NRL) with a length of 12,5 km includes a 5,4 km viaduct divided in 7 viaducts of 770 m long entirely precast near the “Le Port” commercial harbor and completely assembled at sea. The project had to integrate environmental dispositions to protect the marine fauna. Set up at sea, geological maps and geotechnical surveys were needed to provide precise conditions of landing of the footing pedestal of piers. Specific temporary equipment were needed following the construction sequences elaborated by the technical studies. To precast the total viaduct, foundation, piers and segments of the decks with their unusual width of 28m, needed a significant site installation in order to meet the deadlines set in the schedule.

This paper deals with the organization set up by the contractors’s joint venture to manage the issues of the project during the studies stage before the construction works.
Zourite, a Kraken for Maritime Works
Authors: Jestin Olivier , Compte David
Published: February 2021

The joint venture NRL (Nouvelle Route du Littoral), led by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, has been awarded for the construction of a 5 400 m-long viaduct over the sea on North-West of La Réunion island.

Because of the weather constraints of the Indian Ocean, the project team made the choice to optimize precast segment (inland) and to minimize maritime works (offshore). In maritime works, Sheerleg are commonly used for heavy lifting, but unfortunately those barges do not withstand the weather condition. Indeed, the maximum wave height it can face is around 0,5m during lifting or transportation. And the wave conditions in La Reunion do not provide enough weather windows (<0,5m) to install 150 precast elements over the sea. Thus the team had to imagine a new barge capable to withstand higher weather conditions and install the precast elements with the accuracy required by the viaduct.

That was in that context that Zourite came up. It is an Heavy lift jack-up barge able to load on, transport and load off precast segments (maximum weight 4 600 t). It is fitted with 8 jacking system 4 000 t capacity which allows the barge to stand on her legs over the waves of La Reunion, to achieve the segment installation or the civil works offshore. It can even jack-up over the cyclonic wave if necessary.

Each segment is skidded from the precast yard onto the barge and sea-fastened for sailing. Then, arriving on site, a dynamic positioning system gives the ability to place the barge accurately on site. While maintaining the position, the legs are lowered until the barge begins to jack-up. When the safe level to lift is reached, the 4 800 t capacity gantry crane is used to lift the item, skid it along the deck, and lower it into the sea.
A New Pier Head Connection for an Uncommon Bridge
Authors: Bailly Laurent , Djessas Brahim , Simon Antoine
Published: February 2021

The 12,5 km long New Coastal Road at La Réunion Island is being built at sea. Half part of this project is a precast cantilever viaduct of 5.4 km along the seashore, supporting significant loads during construction and operation such as cyclonic events (wind and swells), seismic event, collision loads… The all weather road is separated into 7 viaducts of equal length to allow the displacements under temperature, creep and shrinkage per viaduct.

As the supports must withstand significant lateral and longitudinal forces, they call for a specific design.
The High-performance, Height-adjustable, Load-measuring Bearings of the New Route du Littoral Offshore Viaduct in La Réunion
Authors: Yousfi Adel , Spuler Thomas , O'Suilleabhain Colm
Published: February 2021

A new highway, the "Nouvelle Route du Littoral", is currently being constructed on the French island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean – partially on a viaduct in the sea, following the shoreline. This structure required a large number of high-capacity bearings to support its deck while accommodating movements as required. All of these “high performance” pot bearings were designed to be height-adjustable by injection of a special hardening material when required following ground movements/settlements etc. Each bearing is also equipped with a pressure sensor enabling the load it is carrying to be established at any time – a very useful feature during inspections, which enables the correct and safe distribution of loads among the viaduct’s piers to be verified. The design and supply of the bearings is described.
The Third Bosphorus Bridge: an Important Milestone on Long-span Cable Technology Development
Authors: Erdogan Julien-Erdem , Guesdon Matthieu
Published: February 2021

The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge is a high rigidity suspension bridge, combining stiffening cables and suspension cables. It features a 1.408 m central span and supports at the same time a railway and a motorway with a 59 m wide deck.

The design of the stiffening cables for this bridge required several development to cater for the exceptional needs of the longest and heaviest stay cable in the world. The usual strand grade would not meet the project forces and 1960Mpa strands had to be qualified, for anchorage unit up to 151 strands. Such qualification is however only the tip of the iceberg as many other tailor-made components had to be developed.

Heavy duty deviators needed to be qualified for fatigue and wear and were an utterly important part of the design. Long-stroke hydraulic pistons had to be qualified for performance, long-term resistance to corrosion and ageing.
Planning and Design of a Two-story Arch Bridge with Solid-spandrel Upper Arches Built with CFRP Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Oshiro Takeshi , Nakamura Makoto , Sakate Michiaki , Yoshida Tadahiro
Published: February 2021

The Bridge designed is a two-story arch bridge with total length of 552m and width of 29m. A 7- span continuous concrete arch structure was selected for the lower story with the longest span of 84 m. The upper arches consist of 46-span continuous reinforced concrete arches with 12m long span length. Precast elements were adopted for the upper arches to shorten the construction period and improve the as-built quality of concrete. Further, to improve durability, solid-spandrel arches without expansion devices and bearings were selected for the upper structures, which enabled use of the pavement structure designed for soil embankment on the bridge surface. To minimize the deterioration due to the penetration water from the road surface of the bridge, CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) bars of excellent corrosion resistance were employed to replace steel reinforcement in the upper arches.
Feasibility Study for Large Span Railway Suspension Bridge in China
Authors: Tang Heqiang , Xu Gongyi , Liu Hanshun
Published: February 2021

The structural stiffness of suspension bridge is relatively low compared to other bridge types. Applying this type of bridge to the long-span railway bridges is a big challenge as railway bridges are more sensitive to girder deflection and rotation. Several key technical problems should be well dealt with before applying this type of bridge to railway bridges. In this paper, the wind and seismic resistance, structural stiffness, rotation angles at the end of girder, train and bridge coupling vibration effect as well as geometric shape and position of track of the railway suspension bridge are addressed briefly. Several recommendations are made based on the design and construction experience of the railway suspension bridges in China. The recommendations are: (1) The diameter of the main cables should be no greater than 1.3 m. (2) the mechanical mechanism of the towers and anchorages of the railway suspension bridges is the same with that of the highway suspension bridges and the towers and anchorages should be designed in accordance with the codes. (3) The fatigue stress ranges of the stiffening girders of the railway suspension bridges are normally great and the fatigue design of the girders should be well dealt with. (4) The wind and seismic resistance calculation should satisfy the relevant requirements in the codes and when necessary, the wind tunnel tests should be carried out and the dampers should be equipped with to resist the wind and earthquake action. (5) The structural stiffness can be referred to the criteria as proposed in this paper and the rotation angles at the end of girder should satisfy the requirements in the codes. (6) The train and bridge coupling vibration analysis should be carried out to ensure the geometric shape and position of track satisfy the smoothness requirements for the tracks.
Train-Bridge Dynamic Analysis Theory for Super Major Bridges and Its Engineering Applications
Authors: Gao Mang-mang , Liu Xiao-guang
Published: February 2021

Subject to the running safety and riding comfort requirements of high speed railway in China, the dynamic performance of bridges and train must be evaluated through train-bridge coupling vibration analysis. Super major bridges are affected by environmental factors in service stage, such as settlement, sunshine, temperature , wind and earthquake, and their ideal states are difficult to maintain. In order to optimize structural key parameters at the design stage, it is necessary to carry out train-bridge coupling vibration analysis considering these external factors.

This article discusses separately the value range, treatment method and judging criteria of settlement, sunshine, temperature and wind. These external influences are divided into two categories, static and dynamic. The static excitations include settlement, sunshine and temperature, and they are treated as initial deformation of bridge deck. The dynamic excitations include wind, earthquake or impact caused by cars or boats, and they must be treated as additional dynamic load of bridge.

Taking an arch bridge and a cable-stayed bridge as examples, the influences on train performance caused by details of bridge construction and additional excitation sources are discussed, then the design key parameters for running safety and riding comfort are specified. These results provide technical supports for complementing design code and provide reference for similar bridges.
Train Structure Interaction during Ship Impact for the New Storstrøm Bridge
Authors: Stäblein Alexander R.
Published: February 2021

For the design of the new Storstrøm Bridge a detailed derailment and overturning analysis during ship impact is required. The analysis includes nonlinear soil structure interaction, nonlinear ship indention curves, and multi-body train models. The number of possible combinations of ship type, impact location, train type, and train location at impact make the nonlinear analysis very time consuming. The analysis is therefore separated into a nonlinear ship impact and a linear train analysis. The method is used to investigate the train structure interaction during ship impact. The analysis is carried out for a range of ship types, impact locations, train types and train locations at impact. The results shown that derailment and overturning depend mainly on resonance between lateral bridge modes and the roll and sway modes of the train, and the modal damping of the train modes.
Design of the Colne Valley Viaduct, a 3.4km-long HSR Viaduct in a Highly Sensitive Area
Authors: Beade-Pereda Héctor , Knight Martin , Smith David , García Tomás
Published: February 2021

The article describes the process followed to develop the Specimen Design of the Colne Valley Viaduct (CVV), a circa 3,4km-long structure carrying the high-speed rail (HSR) line connecting the British cities of London and Birmingham (HS2 Phase 1). This viaduct, due to its scale and the sensitivity of the site being crossed (the first large green area to the west of London) will be the most important and delicate bridge in the whole route. The design was developed following a continuous stakeholder engagement process, achieving exceptionally strong support. It does responds to the scale and visual character of the different areas of the valley (watercourses, lakes, meadows, woods, and villages), to the user experience along and below the structure, and to the environmental sensitivity of the location, becoming a fitting addition to the landscape and a beacon through its elegance.
Preventive Maintenance on Superstructure and Pier of Aged Short- Span Steel Railway Structures
Authors: Lin Weiwei , Taniguchi Nozomu , Yoda Teruhiko
Published: February 2021

Deterioration of existing bridges has become a severe problem and seriously affect the serviceability and durability of railway system in many countries. A preventive maintenance strengthening method using rubber-latex mortar, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) plates, lightweight rapid hardening concrete, and reinforcement was introduced this study, which can be used to strengthen the both steel bridge superstructures and bridge piers. In order to confirm the real effects of the present strengthening method, field loading test on a short-span railway bridge and laboratory tests on a steel column were performed. The results on both original and strengthened specimens were summarized and compared. For the railway bridge superstructure, theoretical results were also provided to confirm the strengthening effects. For the steel piers, however, numerical models were built to provide the load carrying capacity of the original pier. The load-displacement curve and load- strain response at key sections were measured in the loading tests and reported in this paper. According to the results, the present renovation method could greatly enhance the rigidity of old steel railway bridge superstructures and the load carrying capacity of existing piers, resulting in the extension of the residual service life of short-span railway bridge superstructures and improvement of seismic behavior of steel piers.
Diagnosis and Restoration of Four Historical Eiffel-Type Rail Viaducts
Authors: Lamarsaude Cédric , Leconte Renaud , Raulet Christophe , Defargues Claire
Published: February 2021

As part of the project management of the Auvergne rail restoration plan carried out by the Société d’études techniques et économiques (SETEC) on behalf of the French Rail Network (SNCFR, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Réseau), Diadès was responsible for the diagnosis evaluation of four wrought-iron nineteenth-century viaducts located on the Lavaufranche–Saint-Germain des Fossés line. Once the viaducts’ archived documents had been analysed, a complete diagnostic and investigative programme was carried out, including taking dimensional measurements and samples, conducting detailed inspections, anti-corrosion diagnosis, spectrocolorimetry analysis of the gathered data and recalculation of the fatigue of the structures. These results were then used to create a procedure for the restoration and painting of two viaducts while addressing the problem of the presence of lead in the original paintwork.

The works were carried out on the Rouzat Viaduct by Lassarat, managed by Diadès.
Widening and Upgrading of the 77-years old Y-Bridge in Ho-Chi-Minh City
Authors: Attie Elie , Buchin-Roulie Vanessa , Kaczkowski Nicolas , Aldatmaz Umut , Ambor Michal , Granet Alain , Tran Hoang Thang
Published: February 2021

Built in 1941 and strengthened for the first time is 1992, the Y-Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) is set to be widened and upgraded in 2018, doubling its capacity from 2 to 4 lanes and making it in compliance with current Vietnamese Design Specifications and loading. The complex deck structure, made of concrete T- or I-shaped girders, with drop-in steel I-girder spans required various and adaptable strengthening solutions (external post-stressing, shotcrete, FRP) depending on the type and configuration of the deck. Substructure is strengthened and upgraded using reinforced shotcrete, while new piles and micropiles are cast and connected to the substructure using transverse jacking beams and external post-tensioning bars. The challenge for this project is technical, since the bridge capacity is increased for the second time, and logistical, since only a reduction of traffic during works is allowed.
The Design of Strengthening and Refurbishment Works to the M4 River Usk Bridge, Wales
Authors: Harris Tony , Owen Richard , Hibbert Jason
Published: February 2021

The M4 River Usk Bridge is a strategically vital structure that carries the TERN route M4 motorway over the River Usk to the north of Newport in South Wales and was constructed during the late 1960s. Its design incorporated modified Mesnager concrete hinges within the deck, which although considered innovative at the time, have become a significant maintenance liability. The River Usk Bridge is unique inasmuch as the hinges are concentrated at discrete locations within the four longitudinal beams that support each carriageway deck. Extensive spalling of the concrete to the beam soffits at the hinge joint locations occurred, resulting in a significant reduction in the shear capacity of the main beams at these critical sections. The strategic importance of the structure in terms of network resilience and the potential social and economic consequences of its potential closure led to the development of a unique and innovative strengthening and refurbishment solution within a fast-track, collaborative environment.
Application of Finite Element Methods to Masonry Bridges
Authors: Rhodes Steve , Icke Philip , Lyons Paul
Published: February 2021

Many of Europe’s oldest bridges – now subjected to traffic unimaginable to the original constructors – are of masonry. Good management of these masonry bridges is demanding. A sustainable approach sees engineers drawing deeply on the available intellectual resources to avoid unnecessary work on the one hand, and unplanned closures on the other. Identifying which structures need strengthening – and planning suitable interventions – requires not merely an assessment of load-carrying capacity but moreover a thorough understanding of the structural behaviour of each bridge.

This paper explores the application of finite element methods to masonry bridges. Options for idealisation are outlined and recommended; considering issues of soil-structure interaction, material parameters and nonlinearity. However, the emphasis is upon promoting an understanding of the structure itself.
Widening of the 400 m Span Cable-stayed Bridge over the Rande Strait in Spain
Authors: Serrano-Corral Álvaro , Ruperez-Astarloa Miguel
Published: February 2021

The Atlantic Motorway, AP-9, crosses the Vigo estuary by means of a 400-m span cable-stayed bridge over the Rande Strait. This bridge was built between 1973 and 1977, and opened to traffic in 1981. In 2006, the average daily traffic reached 47 000 vehicles, close to its effective capacity and therefore resulted in frequent traffic congestion conditions.

In order to increase the bridge’s traffic capacity, feasibility studies were carried out. After technical, aesthetic and economic comparative analyses, the most favourable solution found was a widening project. The widening solution consists of two new external decks positioned along both the outer sides of the existing deck next to the main piers. This system will allow bridge-widening works without both interrupting the traffic on the existing bridge and affecting the Vigo estuary, a very valuable zone from a natural environmental and landscape perspective.
Prolife: Strengthening a Steel Railway Bridge with Deck Sections
Authors: Steenbrink Arjen , van der Burg Mark , Hesselink Bert
Published: February 2021

Under funding of the European Union’s Research Fund for Coal & Steel (Grant agreement no. RFSR-CT-2015-00025) the project ProLife (Prolonging lifetime of old steel and steel-concrete bridges) is undertaken to find innovative new ways how to extend the lifetime of existing bridges. Within ProLife many different strategies for strengthening old road and rail bridges are researched by different partners in the project. The goal of the project is to look at different strengthening measures and their influence on the remaining lifetime and life cycle costs of a bridge.

This paper is a continuation of the paper: “Prolife: Recalculating a steel railway bridge for determining strengthening measures, using an updated FEM model and site measurements” (YVR- 0219-2017) of the 39th conference in Vancouver [1].

In this paper we will focus on rehabilitating a steel rail bridge with steel deck sections to strengthen the stringers and crossbeams in order to increase the remaining lifetime. These are the governing elements for the lifetime of regular bridges, since the main (truss) girders generally have a high enough capacity to cope with today’s loads. Using the calibrated model (see [1]) it is possible to design the strengthening measurements. As a different strategy we explore advanced recalculation of the structure to prevent any strengthening in [2].
A Systematic Review for the Implementation of Risk Management within Construction of Mega Housing Projects
Authors: Nabawy Mohamed , Egbu Charles , Morcos Maged
Published: February 2021

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population growth, increased urbanisation, scarcity of land, and due to changes in the way we work and live. This trend is likely to continue for a while. Mega housing projects are characterized by their high construction budget, complexity, and their benefits to the society. Mega housing projects, however, raise a number of different challenges and complexities, which need consideration in order to successfully deliver them within cost, time and specified quality parameters. The paper addresses the main construction challenges and opportunities of mega housing projects. Furthermore, consideration is given to the human resources (HR) challenges and opportunities, as well as the efficiency of risk management processes throughout the construction of mega housing projects. Different Case studies are analysed, and a risk register for the successful delivery of mega housing projects in construction is proffered. Conclusions for the benefit of contractors, policymakers, and academics are documented, together with selected recommendations around "value-add" from effective risk management of new mega housing projects.
Risk Analysis of Vehicle on Bridge Deck During Strong Side Wind
Authors: Kim Se-Jin , Kim Ho-Kyung , Park Won-Suk
Published: February 2021

This study aims to develop a risk analysis platform for a vehicle over a bridge deck during strong side wind. Two key procedures are presented for risk assessment. One is a proposition of a static model of vehicle for 16 different wind directions. This static model is used in developing so-called critical wind speed curve (CWC) and has been validated by a well-established vehicle-dynamics software, TRUCKSIM. The other is developing probabilistic model of wind speed over a bridge deck from the long-term wind data near the bridge site. The proposed methodology was applied to the Gwangan Bridge, a sea-crossing suspension bridge with the main span of 500 m in length. The parametric study demonstrated vehicle speed and payload of the vehicle were key parameters which effected on the vehicle vulnerability. Especially, it was demonstrated that a vehicle was exposed to more unfavourable condition in curved part of the bridge.
Effect of the Valley Slope on the Seismic Response of Deepwater Rigid-frame Bridge
Authors: Zhang Jiarui , Wei Kai , He Haifeng
Published: February 2021

This study employs three-dimensional ﬁnite element model based on potential-based fluid elements to investigate the effect of the valley slope on the seismic response of piers of a deepwater rigid- frame bridge. The valley slope is treated as a rigid wall boundary in the numerical model. Seismic responses of an example deepwater rigid-frame bridge under Wenchuan Earthquake are determined through time-domain fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analyses. The hydrodynamic pressure within water domain around the piers are obtained as well. Numerical results show that the seismic responses of the main pier of the deepwater rigid-frame bridge increase with increasing of slope angle and decrease with increasing of slope distance. The effect of valley slope on the seismic responses of the side pier and the deformation of rubber bearing is of little consequence. The location of peaks of hydrodynamic pressure is considerably changed due to the increasing of slope angle. These findings demonstrate that the effect of valley slope can be significant and should not be neglected in the seismic analyses of deepwater bridges.
Modelling the Seismic Out-of-plane Behaviour of Rammed Earth Components
Authors: Allahvirdizadeh Reza , Oliveira Daniel V. , Silva Rui A.
Published: February 2021

Earthen constructions constitute a considerable part of the existing heritage and a large percentage of the World population is still living or working in buildings built with this structural material. Rammed earth constructions are acceptably stable under gravity loads, but are significantly vulnerable to earthquakes. Strengthening methods used to enhance the load capacity and ductility of the building should also satisfy a variety of principles, such as compatibility with the substrate, affordability and reversibility. In this study, the seismic performance of both unstrengthened and strengthened rammed earth structural components is investigated. In particular, the out-of-plane behaviour is studied by means of different nonlinear finite element models. At first, pushover analysis is conducted on unstrengthened walls to evaluate their capacity and understand possible failure mechanisms. Afterwards, pushover analyses are conducted on strengthened walls to choose between different strengthening materials and assess the effectiveness of the adopted strengthening technique. Finally, an artificially generated ground motion record is applied to both unstrengthened and strengthened structural components to perform nonlinear time-history analyses. The outcomes were used to compare the dynamic behaviour of the structure against the results of the pushover analyses.
Seismic Performance of Composite Inverted Pendulum Light Railway Station
Authors: Xu Liyan , Nie Xin , Zhuang Liangdong
Published: February 2021

Elevated light railway stations are being widely used in big cities because of its advantages in utilization of urban space and structural integrity. Among these stations, an inverted pendulum structural form, characterized with long cantilevers and single columns, is most preferred as it can spare more space for the city. However, limitations on these structures in high-intensity earthquake regions have been highlighted due to their inferiority in lateral and vertical resistance. Consequently, a composite form of this inverted pendulum elevated structures is proposed in this study, seismic performance of this composite station is investigated using self-developed finite element software, it is proved to be robust enough in high-intensity earthquake regions. Finally, design suggestions are given for this composite inverted pendulum elevated structure.
Innovative Ways of Dealing with Existing Problems: How to reliably Assess the Cause of Damage of Masonry Structures in an Area with Man-induced Earthquakes?
Authors: Terwel Karel , Schipper Roel
Published: February 2021

Groningen, a province in the northern part of the Netherlands, suffers from earthquakes because of gas drilling. The residential building stock in Groningen was not designed for these loads. Over the years a lot of smaller and larger damage has developed, possibly - but not necessarily - caused by the effects of gas drilling. Delft University of Technology was asked by the Dutch government to come up with a method to reliably assess the cause of damage of masonry structures in Groningen. This paper discusses the developed approach for reliably assessing the causes of failure of masonry structures in earthquake-prone areas and the way innovative monitoring techniques were applied.
Difficulties on Earthquake Design due to Standards Limits on an Extensive Offshore Bridge, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway in Kuwait
Authors: Vivier Aurélie , Mauris Georges , Akraa Mohamed , Montens Serge
Published: February 2021

Subiyah project design was implemented with long discussions due to standards limits. With 36 km of viaducts, all decisions had a significant impact on quantities and then on cost.

Project is based on 2.5 and 3.0 m monopiles and standards design requirements are not adapted for such diameters. Moreover, some additional project requirements, not addressed in most of the codes, made also the design more complex (service earthquake and imposed strength reduction factor). All those parameters led to complex discussions on earthquake design: R factor value, capacity design, seismic detailing, P-D effect, asynchroneous motion, seismic design of bearings.

The aim of this article is then to present all the previous inconsistencies of project standards for non-typical structures, all related discussions, and the numerous comparisons that have been done with Eurocode to explain and/or solve the problems.
Optimum Deck and Tower Configurations for the Transverse Seismic Response of Cable-stayed Bridges
Authors: Camara Alfredo , Efthymiou Eleftheria
Published: February 2021

Cable-stayed bridges represent key points in the infrastructure networks and their seismic response needs to be understood and optimised from the early stages of the design process. The configuration of the towers and the deck, as well as the articulation between them, play an important role in the seismic performance. This work is focused on the dynamic interaction between the deck and the towers in the transverse direction (perpendicular to traffic) during the earthquake. An extensive parametric analysis based on the modal response spectrum analysis of a large number of cable-stayed bridge finite element models is performed. The analyses are repeated considering the contribution of different vibration modes and it is found that the governing ones are strongly influenced by the flexibility of the deck and the towers. The results demonstrate that when the vibration frequencies of the towers and the deck coincide, the transverse seismic response of the whole bridge is significantly amplified. Based on this observation, this work proposes simple analytical expressions to obtain the critical tower frequencies that should be avoided in the conceptual design of the bridge in order to prevent potentially catastrophic seismic effects. Finally, these expressions are applied in the conceptual design of a 500-m span cable-stayed bridge.
Earthquake Countermeasures of Power Poles in Service on Railway Viaducts
Authors: Tsukishima Daisuke , Sugita Kiyotaka
Published: February 2021

One of the characteristics of the damage by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake is that many power poles in service on viaducts of Tohoku -Shinkansen have collapsed. The damage of power poles has become the new risk factor threatening the safety of Shinkansen.

Normally, power poles are maintained on the premise that will be rebuilt in the future. However it takes a lot of time and cost to rebuild. Since earthquake countermeasures must be implemented promptly, measures that can be advanced quickly and economically while utilizing power poles is needed.

Developed measure is to remodel the prestressed concrete(PC) structure to the reinforced concrete(RC) structure by cutting PC wires inside the power pole and add a steel tube with rebar to the power pole. Reinforced power pole has excellent deformation performance.

Even if earthquakes that are supposed by the latest design occur, the power pole will not collapse and will be kept within tolerance even if it deforms.
Effect of Accelerogram Trajectory of Bi-directional Spectrum- Compatible Waves on Nonlinear Seismic Response of Structural Model
Authors: Inoue Kazuma , Watanabe Kazuaki , Igarashi Akira
Published: February 2021

The difference of orbit characteristics of bi-directional input waves affecting the elast-plastic response of structural model is investigated.The proposed method extends conventional 1D spectrum-compatible method to 2D, and shows how to match the random trajectory time histories, which is orthogonal in the horizontal plane, with the target bi-axial response spectrum. By extenting the energy spectrum which represents the energy of input seismic motion, the concept of bi-axial energy spectrum is proposed. Using this spectrum, differences in input seismic energy is shown when accelerogram trajectories of the waves vary. In addition, incremental dynamic analysis was carried out for elasto-plastic structural model, subjected to bi-axial response spectrum-compatible waves with different accelerogram trajectories. As a result, there is tendency for using circular trajectory as bi-directional input to show conservative results.
Design and Sustainable Management of Liquid Wastewater Treatment Network using the GIS Tool and the Space-based Database (Geo-LD).
Authors: Hijab Abdessalam , Boulekbache Hafida
Published: February 2021

The objective of this paper is to show the design and the sustainable management of the liquid wastewater treatment network (LWTN) in under-equipped neighborhoods (Case of LAMKANSA, south-west of Casablanca) using spatially referenced databases (SRD) and the GIS tool. This geo-localized information technology has become one of the most effective tools, ensuring better management of cartographic and alphanumeric databases.

This research will help you understand the importance of LWTN and the design of sustainable and innovative solutions. It actually contributes to the understanding and assimilation of the planned sewage treatment scheme for under-equipped neighborhoods, and downstream. It represents a guide that will demonstrate the impact of the sanitation scheme on the protection of wastewater the environment.