Name: Mattia Andreoli

Title of the project: Numerical assessment of Dynamic Amplification Factors (DAF) in existing bridges

Project description

To maintain competitiveness for the Norwegian industry and limit climate impact, heavier transports than today must be allowed on the road network. This is particularly significant for forestry, mining, construction and steel industry. Therefore, structural reassessment of existing bridges is required, in order to accommodate the transit of heavier vehicles. However, usual engineering practice, keeping into account uncertainties in simplified calculations with conservative approaches, overestimates the subsequent interventions, increasing financial and environmental costs. The aim of this PhD project is to improve methods for reassessment of bridges in Sweden and Norway, and to quantify the site-specific assessment dynamic ratio (ADR) of existing road bridges. To reach this aim, numerical modelling methods to take service-life and road profile degradation into account will be developed. The model will then be validated and refined thanks to measuring campaigns carried out by Chalmers University (SWE).

Figure: Methodology proposed for developing a numerical model of a bridge

Funding

The project is funded the Norwegian public road administration.

Collaboration

The project belongs to a collaboration with Chalmers University (Sweden).

Date of start of PhD: April 2025