Publications in Magazines

Some infrastructure is experiencing a fast rate of deterioration as a result of poor design/construction/maintenance or more demanding loads than anticipated, and many buildings, transport, and energy infrastructure are getting close to the ends of their design lives. There is a need for assessing the safety of these structures, i.e., to check that the probability of the structural response falling beyond an established threshold for a given period of time is acceptable. This calculation involves defining a number of input variables that include loading as well as structural properties such as moduli of elasticity, material strength, geometry, boundary conditions, etc. In a high-level assessment, these variables will be defined by a range of values with a probability of occurrence. Multiple combinations of these input values lead to output responses that become more scatter as the input variables are less well-known, and as the modelling errors increase. Training in Reducing Uncertainty in Structural Safety (TRUSS), is a €3.7 million Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN) composed by six Universities, 11 companies and 1 research institute from five European countries, joining forces to identify, quantify and reduce uncertainties associated with the probability of structural failure. For this purpose, 14 fellows are recruited to be trained with the right combination of transferable and research-related skills, and to conduct research in specific projects while being exposed to academia and industry, different culture environments, disciplines, and sectors, that will prepare them for dealing with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure stock. -> External link to full paper as published online -> Link to full text in repository

European infrastructure is extensive and well developed, but much of it is also ageing. Replacing this ageing network is costly, disruptive and time-consuming – so it is vital that what is already in place is utilised to its full potential. This scenario is made even more perilous by the reduced spending in maintenance caused by the economic downturn of recent years. As such, a management strategy that guarantees maintenance and structural safety with the best use of the resources available is required. This goal is at the heart of the TRUSS Innovative Training Network (ITN). TRUSS addresses a lack of expertise on the management and modernisation of an ageing infrastructure stock that is critical for society to function and prosper. The cost of making repairs once an infrastructure starts to fail is prohibitive, yet there is no easy way to measure how infrastructure deteriorates over time and to assess structural safety.  [DOI] -> External link to full paper as published online -> Link to full text in repository