Sustainable Bridges

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Sustainable Bridges

• Brian Bell
• Leader Work Package 1

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Summary of presentation

• Project headlines background
• The partners
• Arrangement of work packages
• Project management
• European railway bridge statistics
• Arch related priorities

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Project Headlines

• Integrated project funded through EU 6th
  Framework programme
• 32 partners from across Europe
• Started 1 December 2003
• Programmed duration 4 years
• Project cost 10 million
• EU contribution 6.9 million

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Background

• 6th Framework launched in autumn of 2002
• Overall priority Sustainable development,
  global change ecosystems
• Expressions of interest sought
• Lulea Technical University submitted EOI
• Based on 5th Framework submission Ecobridge
• First call made in early 2003
• Thematic priority Sustainable Surface
  Transport
• Objective 2 Advanced design production
  techniques
• Relevant topic 3.2.4.2.4.12

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Topic 3.4.2.4.12 Objective

• To increase the capacity of infrastructure for
  passengers and freight traffic.

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Topic 3.4.2.4.12 Scope

• The activities should focus on the functional
  requirements for infrastructure in order to
  achieve the increased capacity required to meet
  the future demands for heavier axle loads and
  increased traffic levels. This should consider
  the optimisation of capital expenditure, the
  maintenance demands, infrastructure condition
  monitoring systems and delivery of improved
  capacity without compromising the safety of the
  working railway. This should be supported by a
  European infrastructure mapping or register of
  interoperable and non-interoperable existing
  characteristics of the national networks.

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Topic 3.4.2.4.12 Expected outcome

• Innovative solutions which will result in a high
  performance, safe, low life cycle cost
  infrastructure, incorporating efficient condition
  monitoring and maintenance regimes able to cope
  with future demands of higher loads, faster
  trains and higher intensity of traffic.

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Background (cont)

• WP leaders identified in Jan/Feb 2003
• Partners added and Skanska made initial
  submission in April 2003
• Skanska advised in August 2003 that project had
  been highly evaluated
• Project finalised with EU by November 2003

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The Work Package Leaders

• Skanska Teknik (Sweden)
• Network Rail (UK)
• Banverket (Sweden)
• BAM Bundesanstalt fur Materialforschung und
  Profung (Germany)
• COWI (Denmark)
• EMPA Swiss Fed Inst for Materials Testing
  Research (Switzerland)
• Lulea University of Technology (Sweden)
• LCPC Laboratoire Central des Ponts et
  Chausses (France)
• North Finnish Building Cluster (Finland)
• Wrocklaw University of Technology (Poland)

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The Other Partners

• Chalmers University Sw
• University of Oulu Sw
• Finnish Rail Administration Fi
• Finnish Road Administration Fi
• SNCF Fr
• University of Minho Pt
• Polytechnic Uni. of Catalonia Sp
• PKP Polish Railway Lines Po
• Cervenka Consulting Cz
• Royal Institute of Technology Sw
• Lund University Sw

• City University UK
• Salford University UK
• Swedish Geotechnical Institute Sw
• BPE Systems Sw
• Designtech Sw
• Swedish Road Administration Sw
• Deutsche Bahn Ger
• Stuttgart University Ger
• RWTH Aachen Ger
• Norut Technology Nor
• Lausanne University Swtz

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The Work Packages

• WP1 Start up and Classification
• WP2 Guidance and Review
• WP3 Condition Assessment and Inspection
• WP4 Loads, Capacity and Resistance
• WP5 Monitoring
• WP6 Repair and Strengthening
• WP7 Demonstration. Field Testing of Old Bridges
• WP8 Demonstration. Monitoring on New Bridges
• WP9 Training and Dissemination
• WP10 Management

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Project flow chart

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Project Management

• General assembly
• All partners
• Meets once per year
• Management team
• Composed of work package leaders plus project
  coordinator and scientific leader
• Meets 6 monthly
• Executive board
• 5 people elected by and from GA, plus project
  coordinator and scientific leader.
• Meets 6 monthly, chairmanship changes each year

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Management flow chart

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Project management tools

• Intranet established
• Contains separate rooms for each WP, the GA, MT
  and EB.
• Will hold all project documentation
• Public web site
• www.sustainablebridges.net
• Contains project outline WP details
• Will provide public access to all outputs

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Railway bridge statistics

• Based on the results of an initial survey of the
  railway partners within the project
• Approx 08 of bridges are composite
• Approx 24 of bridges are concrete
• Approx 31 of bridges are metallic
• Approx 37 of bridges are arches

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Break down of arch figures

• From the same initial survey the following is
  the an approximate breakdown of the types of
  masonry arch bridges across Europe
• 33 Stone
• 67 Brick
• Data from SB and UIC project suggests railway
  arch population of over 70,000

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Arch related activities

• Arch rehabilitation seems to account for 20 of
  total railway maintenance activity
• The majority of arch related rehabilitation is
  pointing and/or patch repairing
• Strengthening largely achieved by pointing or
  patching
• Saddling widely used for both strength and
  waterproofing

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Arch related priorities

• Better assessment tools
• Better knowledge of serviceability criteria
• Waterproofing
• Saddling
• Electro osmosis ?
• Non disruptive maintenance methods
• Diagnosis and intervention planning tools

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• Thank you