Bridge research in Europe.docx

BridgeresearchinEuropeAbriefoutlineisgivenofthedevelopmentoftheEuropeanUnion,togetherwiththeresearchplatforminEurope.Thespecialcaseofpost-tensionedbridgesintheUKisdiscussed.InordertoillustratethetypeofEuropeanresearchbeingundertaken,anexampleisgivenfromtheUniversityofEdinburghportfolio:relatingtotheidentificationofvoidsinpost-tensionedconcretebridgesusingdigitalimpulseradar.IntroductionThechallengeinanyresearcharenaistoharnessthefindingsofdifferentresearchgroupstoidentifyacoherentmassofdata,whichenablesresearchandpracticetobebetterfocused.AparticularchallengeexistswithrespecttoEuropewherelanguagebarriersareinevitablyverysignificant.TheEuropeanCommunitywasformedinthe1960sbaseduponapoliticalwillwithincontinentalEuropetoavoidtheEuropeancivilwars,whichdevelopedintoWorldWar2from1939to1945.ThestrongpoliticalmotivationformedtheoriginalcommunityofwhichBritainwasnotamember.ManyofthecontinentalcountriessawBritain'sinterestasbeingpurelyeconomic.The1970ssawBritainjoiningwhatwasthentheEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)andthe1990shasseenthewideningofthecommunitytoaEuropeanUnion,EU,withcertainpoliticalgoalstogetherwiththeobjectiveofacommonEuropeancurrency.Notwithstandingthesefinancialandpoliticaldevelopments,civilengineeringandbridgeengineeringinparticularhavefoundgreatdifficultyinforminganykindofcommonthread.IndeedtheeducationalsystemsforUniversitytrainingarequitedifferentbetweenBritainandtheEuropeancontinentalcountries.TheformationoftheEUfundingschemes一e.g.Socrates,BriteEuramandotherprogramshavehelpedsignificantly.TheSocratesschemeisbasedupontheexchangeofstudentsbetweenUniversitiesindifferentmemberstates.TheBriteEuramschemehasinvolvedtechnicalresearchgrantsgiventoconsortiaofacademicsandindustrialpartnerswithinanumberofthestates一aBriteEurambidwouldnormallybeledbyanindustrialist.Intermsofdisseminationofknowledge,twoquitedifferentstrandsappeartohaveemerged.TheUKandtheUSAhaveconcentratedprimarilyupondisseminatingbasicresearchinrefereedjournalpublications:ASCE,ICEandotherjournals.WhereasthecontinentalEuropeanshavefrequentlydisseminatedbasicresearchatconferenceswherethecirculationoftheproceedingsisrestricted.Additionally,languagebarriershaveprovedtobeverydifficulttobreakdown.IncountrieswhereEnglishisastrongsecondlanguagetherehasbeenenthusiasticparticipationininternationalconferencesbasedwithincontinentalEurope-e.g.Germany,Italy,Belgium,TheNetherlandsandSwitzerland.However,countrieswhereEnglishisnotastrongsecondlanguagehavebeenhesitantPartiCiPantS一e.g.France.EuropeanresearchExamplesofresearchrelatingtobridgesinEuropecanbedividedintothreetypesofstructure:MasonryarchbridgesBritainhasthelargeststockofmasonryarchbridges.IncertainregionsoftheUKupto60%oftheroadbridgesarehistoricstonemasonryarchbridgesoriginallyconstructedforhorsedrawntraffic.ThisislesscommoninotherpartsofEuropeasmanyofthesebridgesweredestroyedduringWorldWar2.ConcretebridgesAlargestockofconcretebridgeswasconstructedduringthe1950s,1960sand1970s.Atthetime,thesestructureswereseenasmaintenancefree.Europealsohasalargenumberofpost-tensionedconcretebridgeswithsteeltendonductspreventingradarinspection.ThisisaparticularprobleminFranceandtheUK.SteelbridgesSteelbridgeswentoutoffashionintheUKduetotheirneedformaintenanceasperceivedinthe1960sand1970s.However,theyhavebeenusedforlongspanandrailbridges,andtheyarenowreturningtofashionformotorwaywideningschemesintheUK.ResearchactivityinEuropeItgivesanindicationcertainareasofexpertiseandworkbeingundertakeninEurope,butisbynomeansexhaustive.InordertoillustratethetypeofEuropeanresearchbeingundertaken,anexampleisgivenfromtheUniversityofEdinburghportfolio.Theexamplerelatestotheidentificationofvoidsinpost-tensionedconcretebridges,usingdigitalimpulseradar.PosttensionedconcreterailbridgeanalysisOveArupandPartnerscarriedoutaninspectionandassessmentofthesuperstructureofa160mlongpost-tensioned,segmentalrailwaybridgeinManchestertodetermineitsload-carryingcapacitypriortoatransferofownership,foruseintheMetrolinklightrailsystem.Particularattentionwaspaidtotheintegrityofitspost-tensionedsteelelements.Physicalinspection,non-destructiveradartestingandotherexploratorymethodswereusedtoinvestigateforpossibleweaknessesinthebridge.SincethesuddencollapseofYnys-y-GwasBridgeinWales,UKin1985,therehasbeenconcernaboutthelong-termintegrityofsegmental,post-tensionedconcretebridgeswhichmaybeproneto'brittle5failurewithoutwarning.Thecorrosionprotectionofthepost-tensionedsteelcables,wheretheypassthroughjointsbetweenthesegments,hasbeenidentifiedasamajorfactoraffectingthelong-termdurabilityandconsequentstrengthofthistypeofbridge.Theidentificationofvoidsingroutedtendonductsatvulnerablepositionsisrecognizedasanimportantstepinthedetectionofsuchcorrosion.DescriptionofbridgeGeneralarrangementBesseso,th,BamBridgeisa160mlong,threespan,segmental,post-tensionedconcreterailwaybridgebuiltin1969.Themainspanof90mcrossesoverboththeM62motorwayandA665BurytoPrestwickRoad.Minimumheadroomis5.18mfromtheA665andtheM62isclearedbyapprox12.5m.Thesupe