NSFUSE - Ductile steel fuses for the protection of critical nonstructural components
Funder: H2020-SERA
The testing verification of a controlled yielding fuse concept has been delivered for the seismic protection of critical non-structural components. The objective was to offer a reliable and inexpensive solution for the protection of acceleration- and drift-sensitive equipment, such as mechanical components, HVAC units and medical devices that underpin the functionality of nearly all buildings.
Contact: Dr Raffeale De Risi
SAFER Schools for Nepal
Funding agency: EPSRC-GCRF
This project draws on knowledge and experience from Nepal and around the world, incorporating earthquake, structural and geotechnical engineers, seismologists, earth scientists, stakeholders and decision-makers. Together, we’re working to making school buildings safer. We’re using the seismic shaking table of the University of Bristol, to see how replicas of Nepalese classrooms, strengthened with cost-effective techniques, perform under seismic excitation and we develop smart tools for coupling seismic hazard, soil data and structural vulnerability to enhance community resilience.
Contact person: Prof. Anastasios Sextos
1. Giordano, Ni., Norris, A., Manandhar, V., Shrestha, L., Paudel, D.R., Quinn, N., Rees, E., Shrestha, H., Marasini, N., Prajapati, R., Guragain, R., De Luca, F., and A. Sextos (2021) “Financial assessment of incremental seismic retrofitting of Nepali stone-masonry buildings”, Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (accepted) 2. Tsiavos, A, Sextos, A., Stavridis,A., Dietz, M., Dihoru, L., Alexander, N. (2020) “Large-scale experimental investigation of a low-cost PVC ‘sand-wich’ (PVC-s) seismic isolation for developing countries”, Earthquake Spectra (accepted for publication).
Award-winning experiments underpin life extension of UK’s Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear power station fleet
Funder: EDF Energy
This unique empirical shaking table research, on an innovative, ¼-scale, physical model of a cracked Advanced gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) graphite core, directly underpinned over £4bn (13 Terrawatt days) of electricity generation. It enabled EDF Energy to present successful seismic safety cases to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), resulting, so far, in life extension approvals for five AGR stations from 2016 and in EDF’s improved confidence in its safe life projections of the AGR fleet through to 2030. Without this research, the UK’s fleet of 14 AGRs (contributing 14% of the UK’s electricity supply) would not be operating beyond the onset of cracking in the thousands of graphite bricks that comprise each reactor core. Our research enabled Atkins’ to improve and validate their complex numerical modelling capability upon which EDF’s graphite core seismic safety case methodology depends. The research won three prestigious awards and was displayed at the 2019 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.
Contact: Prof. Adam Crewe
SHATTENFEE - SHAking Table TEsting for Near Fault Effect Evaluation
Funder: H2020 - SERA
The SHATTENFEE project was carried out to investigate the (A) vertical response analysis of a typical soil column, e.g., estimation of natural frequency and amplification, vertical frequency variation due to densification induced by prolonged shaking; (b)validation of numerical and theoretical models based on a reliable experimental database; (c) potential nonlinear effects due to increased amplitude of input; (d) assessment of the effects of the response of a piled foundation – SSI response.
Contact: Dr Raffaele De Risi
Serena: Seismic Response of Novel Integral Abutment-Bridges
Funder: H2020
The object of this project was to investigate seismic soil-structure interaction effects in complex structures involving Integral Abutment Bridges (IAB’s). The research team conducted shaking table tests on Integral Abutment Bridges to assess the performance of different foundation and abutment schemes as related to earthquake response. Specifically, the following configurations will be explored: 1) piles monolithically connected to the footing 2) piles connected to the footing through hinges, 3) insertion of compressible inclusion between backfill and abutment
Contact: Prof, George Mylonakis, Dr Flavia De Luca
Fiorentino, G., Cengiz, C., De Luca, F., Mylonakis, G., Karamitros, D., Dietz, M., ... & Nuti, C. (2021). Integral abutment bridges: Investigation of seismic soil‐structure interaction effects by shaking table testing. Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 50(6), 1517-1538. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eqe.3409
UKCRIC - PLEXUS - Priming Laboratory EXperiments on infrastructure and Urban Systems
Funder: EPSRC
The UoB component of the Plexus project focused on the inspection of different monitoring approaches on soil-structure interaction problems in integral bridges due to temperature effects. A small scale test was performed as preliminary step for upscaled tests in collaboration with University of Birmingham and University of Southampton
Contact: Dr Flavia De Luca
ttps://www.ukcric.com/insights/exploring-the-benefits-of-integral-bridges-plexus-research-outcomes/
Resilience of national transport networks to flood-induced bridge failures
Funder: EPSRC
This fellowship proposal addresses the crucial priority of identifying bridges that are susceptible to failure, while understanding the implications of their failure on the wider transport network. to. By working with key stakeholders, this research supports infrastructure operators and managers in their decision-making. Moreover, it supports the EPSRC 'Resilient Nation' Prosperity Outcome by delve into robust functioning of complex infrastructures.
Contact: Dr Maria Pregnolato
Vardanega, P.J., Gavriel, G. and Pregnolato, M. (2021). Assessing the Suitability of Bridge Scour Monitoring Devices. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Forensic Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1680/jfoen.20.00022 Pregnolato, M., Winter, A.O., Mascarenas, D., Sen, A.D., Bates, P. and Motley, M.R. (2020). Assessing flooding impact to riverine bridges: an integrated analysis. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. https://nhess.copernicus.org/preprints/nhess-2020-375/ Pregnolato, M. (2019). Bridge safety is not for granted - A novel approach to bridge management. Eng. and Structures, 196, 109193. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.05.035
Scour risk monitoring of riverine bridges
Funder: Network Rail
This project aims to understand the potential for continuous monitoring technologies to be implemented on Network Rail assets with the potential to be affected by scour, to implement mitigation measured in a more targeted and efficient manner.
Contact: Dr Maria Pregnolato
Vardanega, P.J., Gavriel, G. and Pregnolato, M. (2021). Assessing the Suitability of Bridge Scour Monitoring Devices. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Forensic Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1680/jfoen.20.00022 Pregnolato, M., Winter, A.O., Mascarenas, D., Sen, A.D., Bates, P. and Motley, Pregnolato, M. (2019). Bridge safety is not for granted - A novel approach to bridge management. Eng. and Structures, 196, 109193. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.05.035
A Digital Twin Enabler for the Clifton Suspension Bridge: an open-interface structural model
Funder: ESPRC
This project will deliver a Digital Twin ready finite element model of the Clifton Suspension Bridge (Bristol) using the OpenSeesPy Python library. We will then compare the output of this model with previously recorded structural health monitoring data from the bridge. This is a key enabler for the creation of a Digital Twin of the structure, as the sophisticated APIs presented by the OpenSeesPy library allow the model to be integrated into a wider software environment. The project is supported by a Jean Golding Institute's Seed Corn funding award (2021): https://jeangoldinginstitute.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/author/jeangoldinginstitute/
Contact: Dr Maria Pregnolato