Sustainable bridges : results from a European integrated project

• In Europe there are more than 1 million bridges, many of  them older than 50 years and quite a few of the railway bridges even have an age of more than100 years. These bridges represent a large value. Often there is a wish to increase speed and loads on existing bridges and then the question is if a bridge can be strengthened to fulfil the demands, or if it has to be replaced with a new one? This was the background for a European integrated research project within the 6th Framework Programme named "Sustainable Bridges". The project  was carried out between 2003 and 2007 with 32 partners from 12 countries and with a gross budget of more than 10 million Euros.  The aim of the project was to help to increase the use of the European railway network. For bridges, this can only be achieved by allowing higher axle loads on freight vehicles and by increasing the maximum permissible speed of passenger trains. In turn, any strengthening or maintenance work on the existing bridge stock to help in meeting this challenge must be undertaken without causing unnecessary disruption to the carriage of passengers and goods, and without compromising the safety and economy of the working railway. The project has developed many background documents and the following four major guidelines:(a) Inspection and Condition Assessment of Railway Bridges (b) Load and Resistance Assessment of Railway Bridges (c) Monitoring of Railway Bridges (d) Repair and Strengthening of Railway Bridges The results have been tested and demonstrated on several bridges in order to promote better engineering solutions which may produce savings throughout Europe. In the paper reflections on the efficiency and dissemination of the project will be given as well as examples of results and how they now are implemented.  All major results from the project are available at the website http://www.sustainablebridges.net/.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Infrastrukturteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Infrastructure Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Structural Engineering

Konstruktionsteknik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)