The broad range of facilities within SoFSI have been designed to enable experiments to be performed to improve the performance of integral bridges in earthquake and non-earthquake areas and specific UK applications such as gravity wall abutments, retaining walls and vehicle restrain, parapets and road rigs. The key research areas for this category aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of integral bridges in the operation of modern roadways and railways, through the enhancement of their serviceability and the significant reduction of the maintenance cost over the life span of the structure. The soil pit and shaking table within SoFSI have been constructed on the same centre line to enable structures to span from the shaking table to the soil pit so that cyclic, dynamic loads can be applied to bridge abutments and bearings.
It is considered that research in this area will be key to sustaining the regeneration and renewal of infrastructure in the UK, underpinning the core UKCRIC missions.