Bridge research in Europe.docx

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1、BridgeresearchinEuropeAbriefoutlineisgivenofthedevelopmentoftheEuropeanUnion,togetherwiththeresearchplatforminEurope.Thespecialcaseofpost-tensionedbridgesintheUKisdiscussed.InordertoillustratethetypeofEuropeanresearchbeingundertaken,anexampleisgivenfromtheUniversityofEdinburghportfolio:relatingtothe

2、identificationofvoidsinpost-tensionedconcretebridgesusingdigitalimpulseradar.IntroductionThechallengeinanyresearcharenaistoharnessthefindingsofdifferentresearchgroupstoidentifyacoherentmassofdata,whichenablesresearchandpracticetobebetterfocused.AparticularchallengeexistswithrespecttoEuropewherelangu

3、agebarriersareinevitablyverysignificant.TheEuropeanCommunitywasformedinthe1960sbaseduponapoliticalwillwithincontinentalEuropetoavoidtheEuropeancivilwars,whichdevelopedintoWorldWar2from1939to1945.ThestrongpoliticalmotivationformedtheoriginalcommunityofwhichBritainwasnotamember.Manyofthecontinentalcou

4、ntriessawBritainsinterestasbeingpurelyeconomic.The1970ssawBritainjoiningwhatwasthentheEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)andthe1990shasseenthewideningofthecommunitytoaEuropeanUnion,EU,withcertainpoliticalgoalstogetherwiththeobjectiveofacommonEuropeancurrency.Notwithstandingthesefinancialandpoliticaldevel

5、opments,civilengineeringandbridgeengineeringinparticularhavefoundgreatdifficultyinforminganykindofcommonthread.IndeedtheeducationalsystemsforUniversitytrainingarequitedifferentbetweenBritainandtheEuropeancontinentalcountries.TheformationoftheEUfundingschemes一e.g.Socrates,BriteEuramandotherprogramsha

6、vehelpedsignificantly.TheSocratesschemeisbasedupontheexchangeofstudentsbetweenUniversitiesindifferentmemberstates.TheBriteEuramschemehasinvolvedtechnicalresearchgrantsgiventoconsortiaofacademicsandindustrialpartnerswithinanumberofthestates一aBriteEurambidwouldnormallybeledbyanindustrialist.Intermsofd

7、isseminationofknowledge,twoquitedifferentstrandsappeartohaveemerged.TheUKandtheUSAhaveconcentratedprimarilyupondisseminatingbasicresearchinrefereedjournalpublications:ASCE,ICEandotherjournals.WhereasthecontinentalEuropeanshavefrequentlydisseminatedbasicresearchatconferenceswherethecirculationofthepr

8、oceedingsisrestricted.Additionally,languagebarriershaveprovedtobeverydifficulttobreakdown.IncountrieswhereEnglishisastrongsecondlanguagetherehasbeenenthusiasticparticipationininternationalconferencesbasedwithincontinentalEurope-e.g.Germany,Italy,Belgium,TheNetherlandsandSwitzerland.However,countries

9、whereEnglishisnotastrongsecondlanguagehavebeenhesitantPartiCiPantS一e.g.France.EuropeanresearchExamplesofresearchrelatingtobridgesinEuropecanbedividedintothreetypesofstructure:MasonryarchbridgesBritainhasthelargeststockofmasonryarchbridges.IncertainregionsoftheUKupto60%oftheroadbridgesarehistoricston

10、emasonryarchbridgesoriginallyconstructedforhorsedrawntraffic.ThisislesscommoninotherpartsofEuropeasmanyofthesebridgesweredestroyedduringWorldWar2.ConcretebridgesAlargestockofconcretebridgeswasconstructedduringthe1950s,1960sand1970s.Atthetime,thesestructureswereseenasmaintenancefree.Europealsohasalar

11、genumberofpost-tensionedconcretebridgeswithsteeltendonductspreventingradarinspection.ThisisaparticularprobleminFranceandtheUK.SteelbridgesSteelbridgeswentoutoffashionintheUKduetotheirneedformaintenanceasperceivedinthe1960sand1970s.However,theyhavebeenusedforlongspanandrailbridges,andtheyarenowreturn

12、ingtofashionformotorwaywideningschemesintheUK.ResearchactivityinEuropeItgivesanindicationcertainareasofexpertiseandworkbeingundertakeninEurope,butisbynomeansexhaustive.InordertoillustratethetypeofEuropeanresearchbeingundertaken,anexampleisgivenfromtheUniversityofEdinburghportfolio.Theexamplerelatest

13、otheidentificationofvoidsinpost-tensionedconcretebridges,usingdigitalimpulseradar.PosttensionedconcreterailbridgeanalysisOveArupandPartnerscarriedoutaninspectionandassessmentofthesuperstructureofa160mlongpost-tensioned,segmentalrailwaybridgeinManchestertodetermineitsload-carryingcapacitypriortoatran

14、sferofownership,foruseintheMetrolinklightrailsystem.Particularattentionwaspaidtotheintegrityofitspost-tensionedsteelelements.Physicalinspection,non-destructiveradartestingandotherexploratorymethodswereusedtoinvestigateforpossibleweaknessesinthebridge.SincethesuddencollapseofYnys-y-GwasBridgeinWales,

15、UKin1985,therehasbeenconcernaboutthelong-termintegrityofsegmental,post-tensionedconcretebridgeswhichmaybepronetobrittle5failurewithoutwarning.Thecorrosionprotectionofthepost-tensionedsteelcables,wheretheypassthroughjointsbetweenthesegments,hasbeenidentifiedasamajorfactoraffectingthelong-termdurabili

16、tyandconsequentstrengthofthistypeofbridge.Theidentificationofvoidsingroutedtendonductsatvulnerablepositionsisrecognizedasanimportantstepinthedetectionofsuchcorrosion.DescriptionofbridgeGeneralarrangementBesseso,th,BamBridgeisa160mlong,threespan,segmental,post-tensionedconcreterailwaybridgebuiltin1969.Themainspanof90mcrossesoverboththeM62motorwayandA665BurytoPrestwickRoad.Minimumheadroomis5.18mfromtheA665andtheM62isclearedbyapprox12.5m.Thesupe