bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Drive‐by frequencies extraction by means of synchrosqueezed wavelet transform
Authors: Benedetti Lorenzo , Bernardini Lorenzo , Argentino Antonio , Cazzulani Gabriele 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBridges and viaducts are facing growing traffic, increasing loads as well as ageing and deterioration. Nowadays, vibration‐based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) represents an effective solution to extract quantitative information regarding bridge structural condition. Bridge frequencies are fundamental parameters capable to reflect and summarize bridge dynamics and health condition. Typically, their identification is performed by direct approaches, which rely on the use of sensors installed on the structure under analysis. A cost‐efficient, movable, and flexible alternative is offered by drive‐by methods, consisting in the use of instrumented vehicles to extract bridge frequencies. This paper presents an experimental campaign carried out on a multiple‐span mixed railroad bridge, with the aim to identify its frequencies through onboard measurements. A set of MEMS wireless accelerometers is deployed on the vehicle, firstly allowing for vehicle pitch component mitigation. Vehicle accelerations were then used to extract bridge frequencies, by means of a Most Probable Modal Frequencies approach, relying on synchrosqueezed wavelet transform. At a cruise speed of 30 km/h promising results in terms of indirect frequency estimation were found, with no traffic disruption.
Key Performance Indicators for Building Assessment. A case study on an R/C Building in Greece.
Authors: Markogiannaki Olga , Stefanidou Sotiria 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe acquisition of data regarding the performance of buildings and the use of metrics to understand their performance level are critical for efficient building management. Performance indicators are key elements in this process. They shall be clearly defined and provide the means for easily measuring building performance. These performance indicators should cover all aspects of a building's life cycle including safety, operability and sustainability. To facilitate such a process, it is preferable to group the performance indicators into categories, namely the key performance indicators. In this paper, the key performance indicators for buildings are determined by compiling the identified critical ones in the literature. A case study of an R/C building in Greece is used to quantify the presented metrics focusing mainly on safety. The reliability index indicator is calculated based on the simulation and analysis of a building subsystem. Other key performance indicators relevant to building maintenance are considered on scenario basis. The study has been conducted as part of the IABSE Task Group 5.2. – “Key Performance Indicators: Definition” and provides valuable insight into using quantified metrics for decision‐making in building management.
Structural Health Monitoring of a steel truss railway bridge studying its low frequency response
Authors: Radicioni Luca , Bernardini Lorenzo , Bono Francesco Morgan , Anghileri Mattia , Capacci Luca , Cazzulani Gabriele , Somaschini Claudio , Pande Aniket Ketan , Biondini Fabio , Cinquemani Simone , Belloli Marco 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIn the framework of direct Structural Health Monitoring approaches, this paper presents a low frequency range analysis performed on a steel truss bridge designed in 1946 and built up in Northern Italy. The bridge is instrumented with a permanent structural health monitoring system, that guarantees a continuous flux of data and information from a heterogeneous set of sensors. In this analysis, static and quasistatic bridge responses are considered. These experimental data are merged with the analogous outputs obtained from numerical simulations, performed on FE models representative of the actual bridge, with the purpose of identifying damage‐sensitive indexes. Simulations are performed considering the healthy structure and modelling different damage scenarios. The static analysis consists in the construction of a regressive model able to estimate sensor output responses starting from environmental measurements, with the primary purpose to reduce the effect of temperature over measured static response. This procedure allows to relate the damages simulated by means of a numerical model with the real data, so that the monitoring rules can effectively defined.
Digital Life‐Cycle and Asset‐Management for Steel Bridges
Authors: Geβler Achim , Hoffmeister Benno , Geers Thorben 
Published: September 2023

Abstract(Steel) bridges have well‐known issues with regard to fatigue problems causing a lot of the existing infrastructure to be urgently being strengthened or even being replaced. To supervise and investigate all bridges it is state of the art that on a regular basis these bridges have to be inspected by experts (German DIN 1076). In particular with regard to those already known issues a research consortium has set up a collaborative research project together with partners from the road authorities with the aim to provide a data system for an asset‐management for such bridges.The partners and road authorities have selected some typical bridges with regard to those particular structural details:• Cluster 1: „Coupling joints“ (Pretensioned Concrete bridges)• Cluster 2: „Orthotropic steel decks“• Cluster 3: „Hangers/Cables“ (Suspension bridges and steel arch bridges)This contribution will demonstrate that for six selected bridges of cluster 2 and 3 RWTH Aachen has developed detailed numerical models, investigated those critical details with regard to fatigue and proposed monitoring specifications.The relevant design checks of those critical details follow the design rules (in particular fatigue load model 3 of Eurocode) and with the installation of those monitoring concepts the evaluation of the fatigue critical details can be matched using hotspot analysis.
BIM‐models of bridges in the operational phase: use cases, phase model and reference architecture
Authors: Jäkel Jan‐Iwo , Klemt‐Albert Katharina 
Published: September 2023

AbstractFor several years, the use of the BIM method has been mandatory for public new construction and replacement projects of the transport infrastructure in the Federal Republic of Germany. As a result, about 20 use cases (UC) for the application of digital models have been defined. Most of them focus on the planning and execution phase. Despite the importance and long duration of the operational phase, there are isolated definitions for use case for operational phase and therefore underrepresented in the overall context. Moreover, none of the published use cases so far consider the specifics of bridge structures. For this reason, a further definition of specific BIM use cases for the operation of bridge structures is needed. In this article, BIM use cases for the use of digital models of bridge structures in the operation and maintenance phase are defined based on a qualitative empirical study. First, the current state of the art is elaborated by means of a literature analysis. Based on this, a expert interviews are conducted and systematically evaluated. The BIM use cases for operation are derived from the results. In addition, requirements and artifacts are defined. This results in a further specification of the use of BIM models in the operational phase of bridge structures and promotes the digitalization of maintenance management.
The holistic multi‐level approach of recent Italian Guidelines applied to the bridges of Caserta
Authors: Bencivenga Pasquale , Zizi Mattia , Palmieri Gerardo , De Matteis Gianfranco 
Published: September 2023

AbstractRecent Italian Guidelines provide a possible solution for mitigating the structural risk of existing bridges. The procedure, which entails a multi‐level approach, from census of the structures to the resilience assessment of the road network, is being applied in several portions of the Italian territory with reference to bridges managed by different administrative bodies and private companies. In this paper, the application of the Italian Guidelines to a stock of 150 in‐service road bridges of the Province of Caserta is addressed. The application refers to the level 2 of the procedure and aims at estimating the structural/foundational and seismic attention class of the considered structures. The obtained results are then discussed, and a preliminary statistic elaboration of the results aimed at highlighting the most influencing parameters of the whole procedure is provided.
SAFOTEB project: towards new approaches for the reliability assessment of existing prestressed bridge
Authors: Micozzi Fabio , Poeta Alberto , Gioiella Laura , Natali Agnese , Celati Simone , Mazzatura Isabella , Salvatore Walter , Meoni Andrea , Ierimonti Laura , Venanzi Ilaria , Ubertini Filippo , Ranaldo Antonella , D'Amato Michele , Cattaneo Sara , Pettorruso Carlo , Quaglini Virginio , Rossi Dalila , Titton Michele , Dall'Asta Andrea 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis paper presents the structure of new collaborative research project entitled SAFOTEB “A reviewed SAfety FOrmat for structural reliability assessment of post‐TEnsioned concrete Bridges”. The research aims at assessing the reliability of the current safety format and developing specific suggestions for existing concrete bridges with post‐tensioned cables. To date, no European code provides specific guidance for such a purpose. Indeed, the status of conservation and possible defects of the cables may be hidden, enlarging the uncertainties in the structural assessment of such constructions. The basic steps of the research are: (i) definition of the probabilistic models for the main variables concerning the assessment of existing post‐tensioned prestressed concrete bridges; (ii) reliability assessment and calibration of updated safety coefficients for the partial factors method; (iii) evaluation of the residual life and model updating through real‐time continuous monitoring systems. The full procedure will be applied on existing case study structures used as benchmarks. The project is funded by FABRE, an Italian research consortium composed by universities and research institutions aimed at the evaluation and monitoring of bridges, viaducts, tunnels and other structures.
Investigation of the unusual deformations of external tendons in concrete highway bridges
Authors: Švraka Ratko , Bevc Lojze , Vezočnik Rok , Hekič Doron , Anžlin Andrej 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDuring a regular inspection of a multi‐span highway bridge, an unusual deformations of external post‐tensioned tendons were observed. These deformations were not noticed or recorded during the previous main inspections. A detailed visual inspection of the condition of external tendons was performed on all bridges with external tendons by mapping the location and extent of unusual deformation. Based on this, several non‐destructive tests were performed, where deformations were first noticed, from magnetic‐flux leakage to radiographic screening. Some local destructive investigations were subsequently carried out at several locations in two bridges, i.e. opening the tendons. The result of the tendons opening showed the presence of foreign objects and non‐tensioned strands, the latter being a possible cause for the deformations of that tendon. In both locations, the injection mass was compact with only hairy transverse cracks, both on the undeformed part as well as on the moderately deformed part of the tendon. In this paper, the latest results from this study are presented in detail.
Sensory monitoring system of the post‐tensioned concrete bridge over the Odra River in Poland
Authors: Kużawa Mieszko , Bień Jan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe paper presents the Structural Health Monitoring system installed on the posttensioned concrete road bridge over the Odra River in Poland. The bridge superstructure has a form of the 5‐span box girder with skewed supports, built using the cantilever method. During operation of the bridge (since 2010) many cracks arrived in the superstructure, mainly within the main bridge span with a length of 140 m. Therefore, as a part of a complex diagnostic process, the monitoring system were incorporated for assessment of the bridge performance and for observing further propagation of damage. The implemented monitoring system utilizes Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technique for measuring of strains, changes of cracks width and angular displacements of concrete box girder for various operating conditions of the structure including effects of regular road traffic, environmental influences and rheological phenomena. The paper presents applied testing and measuring procedures as well as results of the monitoring. Conclusions regarding effectiveness of the applied testing method in identification of the bridge condition are formulated and discussed.
Identification of influencing factors on bridge damages using Bayesian network
Authors: MIYAKAWA Teruyuki , NAKAMURA Shozo , NISHIKAWA Takafumi 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIn Japan, bridge inspections are compulsorily performed in 5‐year cycles. With the institutionalization of the inspection cycle, essential data have been continuously accumulated. However, effective data utilization requires trend analysis and causal analysis for a group of bridges. In this study, a method for determining factors affecting deterioration is established. The analysis is performed for concrete and steel bridges with Bayesian networks by utilizing data on bridge inspection and repair, and open data such as traffic census and rainfall. For concrete and steel bridges, the target members are the deck slab and main structural members, whereas the damage type is “Delamination/rebar exposure” and “corrosion,” respectively. The validity of the selected explanatory variables is verified by crossvalidation using separately prepared test data; evidently, the maximum damage rating prediction accuracy is 86%. Furthermore, the influencing factors extracted in this study are reasonable for the two damages, thus indicating the possibility of probabilistically extracting influencing factors for specific damages by Bayesian networks.
Integration of measured data for the seismic fragility assessment of deteriorated bridges
Authors: Fragiadakis Michalis , Prentzas Ioannis , Georgioudakis Manolis , Diamantopoulos Spyridon , Markogiannaki Olga , Stefanidou Sotiria 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe reliable assessment of bridge capacity is necessary in order to ensure the functionality of the roadway network under normal, or emergency operating conditions. Damage due to the interaction with the environment (e.g., corrosion of coastal reinforcement) has been observed in many cases, even in newly built interurban road networks. Therefore, the need for obtaining and including measured data in fragility assessment analysis has emerged. In line with the above, the proposed research introduces a framework for the assessment of bridges considering integrating data obtained with NDTs. The scope of NDTs is to track down the evolution damage on bridges and determine its risk of failure. The work presents a structural damage identification approach that successfully updates a digital twin of the structure. Subsequently the digital twin is used in order to determine the bridge fragility. Fiber modeling is used for creating the digital twin of the structure. Modified uniaxial material laws are applied for the fragility assessment of a deteriorated case study bridge also providing comparative assessment results for the pristine bridge, i.e. without damage.
Development of a new high‐speed train load model for dynamic calculation of railway bridges
Authors: Reiterer Michael , Kwapisz Maciej , Firus Andrei , Rupp Maximilian , Lombaert Geert 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDynamic calculations of train crossing of railway bridges must be carried out in Europe in accordance with current valid standards for both new and existing bridges. The high‐speed load model (HSLM) trains to be used are defined in the Eurocode, denoted as HSLM‐A1 to ‐A10. In the near past, the results gained from these dynamic calculations of train crossing have shown, that the current valid HSLM model trains do not cover the bridge vibration response level for certain real operating trains. It turned out that the application of the HSLM‐A trains might lead to an unsafe design of new railway bridges and destabilization of the ballast layer may occur, leading to safety critical track position defects and eventually to train derailments. Hence, in 2019 the consortium TU Darmstadt, KU Leuven, Austrian Institute of Technology and REVOTEC was commissioned by the German Federal Railway Authority to develop a completely new European high‐speed train load model for dynamic calculations of railway bridges that should account for almost all current running operating trains in the European railway network. The project ended in June 2023 and this paper presents the steps carried out to develop the high‐speed train load model, denoted as HSLM‐C, and the results of validation calculations considering more than 300 existing railway bridges of different construction type.
Semantic knowledge models for decision making in asset management: IM‐SAFE Knowledge Base
Authors: Bektas Esra , Oord Erwin , Kohler Jochen , Sánchez‐Rodríguez Ana 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of physical ageing, asset management organizations not only struggle with scattered object‐related data across incompatible software and models, but also dispersed, often missing, insights from domain experts. There is a large volume of data already available particularly at National Road Authorities i.e. object characteristics, inspection and measurement results, usage records. Yet this data is distributed, has complex and varying structures, it takes cumbersome effort to find and obtain for a particular asset management decision. Semantic knowledge models aim to capture domain information and represent it via class definitions, their attributes, relationships and in instances. Such models are used to create knowledge bases, where different technologies are utilized. In the IM‐SAFE project, a knowledge base is created based on a Semantic Wiki Platform. It captures asset information concerning their structural analysis and state on 99 civil structures across Europe. In this paper, a step‐by‐step methodology is provided to build the knowledge base. The paper involves knowledge acquisition, data collection, knowledge modelling, populating datasets and quality assurance steps. It will conclude future implications to make the base expandable and widely used for asset management.
Validating the performance of direct fastening (PAF) into concrete with high‐speed measuring technology
Authors: Scholz Ronja , Franck Pascal , Yousef Alhussain , Spyridis Panagiotis , Walther Frank 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIn recent years, attention has been driven to the direct fastening technology by use of power actuated nail‐type fasteners (PAFs) set in concrete. By means of the series of tests shown in this paper and the high‐speed measuring equipment used, a first approach to the possibility of evaluating the setting performance is demonstrated. The difficulty is to judge whether the operation was successful and whether the fastening can bear the required force, since it is not possible to look into the concrete. For example, it remains hidden whether and, if so, how much the nail was deflected and bent by the concrete. Furthermore, it is unknown how the surrounding concrete was affected by occurring strains and heating as a result of friction. Since the setting process is very fast, it is necessary to use high‐speed measurement technology. In the case of the studies conducted, both digital image correlation (DIC) and thermography were used to record material responses. Following the setting process, the nails and the surrounding concrete were separated and examined with computer tomography (CT). The CT provides the information on the inside of the concrete and one can see cracks and other reactions to the setting process.
Experimental verification of FRP bridge deck's monitoring system based on DFOS sensors
Authors: Kulpa Maciej , Rajchel Mateusz , Siwowski Tomasz , Howiacki Tomasz 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe paper presents the smart FRP composite bridge panel called „OptiDeck“ with integrated distributed fibre optic sensors (DFOS), to monitor the panel's behavior. The panel is intended for use in newly build and refurbished road bridges. From structure point of view the uniqueness of the presented solution results from innovative technological production process to create a honeycomb core in thick sandwich panel. In order for the monitoring system to cover the entire surface of the panel and to detect local damage, it was necessary to use a modern solution based on geometrically continuous DFOS system. The DFOS system serves as the structure health monitoring (SHM) system, which has been tested during the production and laboratory testing of a prototypes in natural scale. The advantages of DFOS measurements are well known and applied in many civil engineering applications. However, the potential benefits are still not fully utilized. Finally the experimental verification of the DFOS system integrated with the FRP deck panel is presented.
Steel‐Concrete Composite Bridge Diagnostics and Reconstruction
Authors: Vanova Patricia , Kusnir Stefan , Dubecky Daniel , Harabinova Slavka , Orolin Peter , Kvocak Vincent , Lavko Martin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMany bridges in Slovakia are reaching their designed life span these days. Due to frequent errors during the construction of those bridges as well as bad maintenance, steel‐concrete bridges are now in a critical state and urgent repairs of those structures are needed. In this article progressive methods of retrofitting existing concrete bridges are shown. In the presented method, the original pillars and original bridge deck will remain in their place, and on the existing deck new composite, steel‐concrete bridge deck with encased steel members of progressive shape will be created. This method brings significant cost reduction for such retrofitting and enables the application of increased loads on the bridge.
An In Situ Fabricated Hydrogel Polymer – Palladium Nanocomposite Electrocatalyst for the HER: Critical Role of the Polymer in Realizing High Efficiency and Stability
Authors: Bovas Anu , Thangavelu Dhanasekaran , Pillai K. Vijayamohanan , Radhakrishnan T. P. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDevelopment of general and simple designs of catalytic electrodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical. The present work demonstrates the multiple roles played by a hydrogel polymer in the fabrication and activity enhancement of the nanoelectrocatalyst. A nanocomposite thin film of Pd with the insulating hydrogel, poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), is fabricated through a facile in situ process, the polymer itself functioning as the reducing/stabilizing agent in the formation of Pd nanoparticles. Pd‐PHEMA on Ni foam enables efficient HER in alkaline medium with a low overpotential; the polymer enables the electrocatalysis by its swelling and confinement of the electrolyte. Most significantly, when the electrode is subjected to an optimized cycling protocol, the overpotential decreases steadily, reaching an impressively low value of 36 mV (@10 mA cm−2). A low Tafel slope (68 mV dec−1), high exchange current density, Faradaic efficiency and TOF (3.27 mA cm−2, 99 %, 122.7 h−1), and extended stability are achieved. Detailed investigations reveal the active role of the polymer in the evolution of the nanocatalyst, itself undergoing favorable morphological changes. The study illustrates the widened scope for developing efficient and stable catalytic electrodes with hydrogel polymers and unique features that promote the generation of green hydrogen.