IABSE British Group is launching an exciting new activity to strengthen the links between industrial experts and Universities.

Industrial experts have identified various emerging topics in the field of Structural Engineering (please find below), and they have volunteered to co-supervise these projects together with academics in UK Universities.

If you are an academic supervisor and you are interested in any of the projects of the list below, you can contact Dr Andreas Lampropoulos (a.lampropoulos@brighton.ac.uk) to discuss further about it and check if the topic is still available.

No.	Description
1	Title: Prestressed Masonry Bridges Proposed by: Davood Liaghat, Buro Happold Preferred level: Either under or postgraduate Description: Prestressed masonry bridges particularly flat slab ones. This could look at suitability of and research into properties of natural stones. Using post tensioning techniques to improve the tensile capacity of the masonry slabs. Research into precedent bridges, recommendations and guidelines for design, application, range of suitable spans, durability etc.
2	Title: Partial Prestressing for railway viaducts. (Design studies) Proposed by: Angus Low, Arup (retired, but still a consultant) Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: The use of partial prestressing was introduced by Eurocodes. An IABSE paper by Angus Low showed that the economic level of prestress is no prestress. Cracked concrete has static strength, but it cannot resist the load repetitions and vibrations experienced by a railway viaduct. The viaduct needs to be checked for fatigue. There are rules in EN 1992-2. Studies by Low have shown that continuous viaducts can be built to any length without rail joints provided the deck has joints at about 105m spacing. The task is to design a 3*35m span, two track, concrete viaduct deck without prestress, and check it for fatigue. Then repeat the task with a low level of prestress, designed in accordance with Low’s IABSE paper: “Push-launched bridges with the cables deflected after the launch.” Approximately how much prestress is needed to comply with the fatigue requirements? To keep things simple the viaduct has a constant section and the fatigue train loads can be taken as a UDL of 22 kN/m, with the trains longer than 105m.
3	Title: 21st century Masonry Bridges Proposed by: John Adamek, Buro Happold Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Considering the Charles Bridge in Prague which has been in use since 1402.  How to design a bridge like this for a much shorter construction period? How can we drive down construction costs using technology and automation? Consider: Masonry bridges using new lightweight, strong, carbon efficient materials. Construct using automated brick laying process (use of drones?) Determine feasibility of prefabrication (within proximity to final location) using partially reusable structural frames. Lift sections into place to heavily reduce downtime of route under bridge.
4	Title: Developments in timber-concrete composite bridges and structures Proposed by: Ian Firth, COWI Consultant Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: This is a developing field which needs more research. How best to form the composite connection? What are the fatigue characteristics of the shear connection? What about best detailing for maximum durability? Who is leading this field at the moment? What can we learn from them?
5	Title: Active load management on bridges Proposed by: Davood Liaghat, Buro Happold Preferred level: Either under or postgraduate Description: Active load management on bridges with particular emphasis on use of new technology (both hardware and software), considering their application in rural and urban areas. Cost of installation and maintenance would be key. Ideally should follow up with a net cost benefit analysis.
6	Title: Track-Bridge Interaction. (Design studies) Proposed by: Angus Low, Arup (retired, but still a consultant) Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: Current TBI rules for the design of railway viaducts are irrational. Their basis is lost in history. They disagree with recent full-scale tests in Germany. Under temperature changes and braking forces structure joints open and close. The rails near the joint slip within their fixings. Angus Low has developed a rational procedure, and two simple, iterative spreadsheets which perform the non-linear analyses. His studies (some unpublished) show that viaducts, with deck joints at about 100m spacing, can be built to any length with continuous rails. To achieve this requires anchor piers which are stiff longitudinally, and specific patterns of deck lengths between joints. The study involves an exploration of deck length configurations and anchor pier stiffnesses which meet the criteria. It also includes studies and data collection relating to anchor pier stiffnesses. The output is a report on viaduct configurations, without rail joints, which will meet the needs of future railways.
7	Title: Analysis of embodied carbon in bridges Proposed by: Sean Dean & Calum Lockhart, Buro Happold Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Analyse existing bridges designed by BuroHappold and others.  What is the difference in embodied carbon between them.  Focused comparison of steel beam or concrete precast beam deck for a 30m footbridge.
8	Title: Optimisation tool for design of low C02e bridge design Proposed by: Sean Dean & Calum Lockhart, Buro Happold Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Develop a tool that when inputting bridge type and length and width, will come up with a range of options, sizing of elements based on previous projects, which gives an estimation for the embodied energy from the quantities of materials that would be required for the project.
9	Title: Track and analyse carbon emissions from bridge construction projects Proposed by: Sean Dean & Calum Lockhart, Buro Happold Preferred level: Undergraduate or Masters Description: Collect and analyse data showing carbon emissions during each phase of construction: site preparation, temporary works, foundations, superstructure, and finishes. Compare construction emissions from different bridge projects and link to type of bridge and main structural material used. Tracking to be limited to heavy equipment on site and waste generated.  Goal is to see which construction phase produces the highest level of emissions for each type of bridge measured in emissions per square meter.  Potential next step to determine how to significantly reduce C02e emission in the construction process.
10	Title: ‘ReBridge’ Proposed by: Tom Osborne, Knight Architects Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Bridges represent the ‘state of the art’. They are built with the materials, knowledge, style and technology of their time. They are also built to suit the needs of their time. Pick a built bridge from recent or distant history, then Reimagine what that bridge would be like if it were built today. Consider how we might now build the structure more safely, with less carbon, to last longer, more beautifully, more flexibly. Perhaps some aspects would remain unchanged, whilst others would be radically different. Maybe certain challenges could now be easily solved, whilst others would prove difficult to simply replicate what was once easily achieved.  Design, draw and produce a scale model of your Re-Imagined bridge, keeping what works, changing what doesn’t. Does a modern bridge push the boundaries of today’s technology in the same way the historic one pushed the boundaries of its time?
11	Title: Evaluating the impact of notional horizontal forces on temporary stability during major modifications for the reuse of existing structures Proposed by: James Simpson, McGee and John T Roberts, CSDI Engineering Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Many sustainable building projects require the reuse and significant modification of existing structures. Recent McGee projects have involved significant ‘surgery’ to a range of multi-storey structures. As a specialist civil and demolition contractor they have recently worked on projects featuring: Dividing a 9-storey concrete building from the 1950s in two, requiring temporary horizontal stability for the weaker half before they are reconnected in the new building.Removing half of the stability cores from a 17-storey 1980s composite frame building requiring significant temporary stability before relocated cores are constructed. It is likely that there will be an increasing number of similar projects in the future.   Notional horizontal design forces allow for the likelihood that a building will not have been constructed exactly vertically. In an existing building these forces will already be acting and need to be accommodated both temporarily and in the finished building.   This project would review the evolution of design advice for notional horizontal forces and evaluate the issues involved in their transfer to temporary bracing and then back to the final building, including the modification or removal of floor diaphragms. The aim would be to develop a better understanding that can influence future project strategies on site.
12	Title: Stiffness of timber to steel connection Proposed by: David Knight, Cake Industries Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: In small timber structures, connection stiffness is vital in ensuring a serviceable structure (both for displacement and vibration performance). Develop simple measures for modelling this stiffness within an FE programme, including upper and lower bound stiffness parameters.
13	Title: Hot working of steel plate parapets Proposed by: David Knight, Cake Industries Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: The Dinosaur Bridge (Arup/Tonkin Liu/Cake Industries) utilised an innovative parapet system that relies on laser cut steel combs that are hot bent into position, with a sinusoidal plan arrangement to provide lateral stiffness. Extend this piece of work to develop a parapet that is suitable for installation more widely, and carry out an FE modelling exercise to ensure that this satisfies code requirements, particularly taking into account the buckling performance of hot worked elements with an initial deformation.
14	Title: The strength of curved steel plates (Analytical study) Proposed by: Angus Low, Arup (retired, but still a consultant) Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: If a rectangular steel box-girder is used as an arch the yield strength of the steel in the top and bottom flanges is reduced because the curvature of the plates generates radial forces which have to be spanned transversely to the webs. For one of his projects Angus Low wrote a one-page Basic program which took account of the Von Mises behaviour and by iteration found the optimum distribution of stress across the flange. He presented his theory in a published paper. Recently he met a similar application but was unable to use his results because this time there was a significant torsion. The project is to extend the exercise to the case with significant torsion. It will be a challenge to find a way to display the results graphically with the extra parameter of torsion.
15	Title: Structural use of stone Proposed by: Ian Firth, COWI Consultant Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: Using prestressed stone sections to form structural elements (slabs, beams and columns) in a manner similar to precast segmental concrete sections. Limestone and granite are the obvious materials. The low carbon and sustainability credentials of stone make this an attractive prospect. (See Steve Webb’s Milne Medal lecture.) What are the advantages? What are the challenges? How can they be resolved?
16	Title: Recycling of FRP structures Proposed by: Ian Firth, COWI Consultant Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: The whole of life cycle in a circular economy requires as much re-use of materials and components as possible. What can we do with FRP structures and components when they reach the end of life? What sort of sections can be reused? How can the material be recycled and what second and third generation uses might the materials be good for? How can we design our FRP structures to be more readily re-cyclable?
17	Title: Geotechnical performance of annular pad foundations in typical UK soils, to justify a carbon efficient new approach Proposed by: John T Roberts, CSDI Engineering Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Construction of pad foundations currently results in very inefficient use of concrete, and hence carbon. John Roberts and Cambridge University conducted a desk study of efficient conical precast bases in 2018 that might become a replacement for the multitude of mass footings currently used around our infrastructure. These would be in diameters up to the width of normal UK lorry transport, allowing them to be craned into a prepared hole The next key step will be to understand the geotechnical performance of annular (‘ring’) foundation bearing on typical UK soils. This will allow the first efficiency comparison of these conical bases with conventional practice. Suggested relevant steps might be: Establishment of a dimensional range for investigation Desk study of similar geotechnical performanceEstablishment of typical UK soil profilesInvestigating behaviour through computer modellingInvestigation through physical modellingFirst estimation of carbon efficiencies against current practice Some of these investigations may be omitted depending on the time available.
18	Title: Cement free foundations,  Topic I – Menard-by-pushing.(Design studies) Proposed by: Angus Low, Arup (retired, but still a consultant) Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: The Menard Technique is a simple idea which has been refined over the years. Loose ground is compacted into a suitable founding material by repeatedly dropping a heavy weight onto it. It is not suitable for urban areas where its shocks are not acceptable. Menard-by-pushing is a new proposal (by Angus Low) to achieve a similar degree of compaction using static, hydraulic force. A steel ram is driven into the ground. It reacts against a heavy weight above it, and it has a central tube of about 150mm diameter through which gravel is fed. By repeating thrusts and retreats a considerable resistance can be generated. The study involves both geotechnical analysis, site logistics and some market research. The geotechnics is needed for predicting the resistance that might be generated by different diameters of ram, pushed to different depths, in different ground conditions. The logistics involves the planning of how a very heavy weight can be set up over the required foundation, and then moved easily across an array of required foundations. The market research relates to the magnitudes of foundation loads required for the buildings of a medium height urban area, and to the typical ground conditions which might be found there. The output of the study is outlines of the plant to be used, and some indication of its potential market penetration in the UK.
19	Title: Cement free foundation,  Topic II – Shimming (Design and management studies) Proposed by: Angus Low, Arup (retired, but still a consultant) Preferred level: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Description: This is an adjunct to the Menard-by-pushing study, but it could be a stand-alone study. It is easy to say that when a foundation settles it can be jacked up, and shims added, but there are very many details that need to be addressed before it can be considered for practical application. What governs the settlement that a building can accept? Usually it is partitions and facades. Where would the shims be placed in a typical building? How would they be accessed for adjustment? What size jacks would be needed? Would they be permanent fixtures? Would the settlements be measured as part of a real-time building monitoring system? What is the maximum settlement that can be shimmed? When the building is being built it should be possible to counter some of the dead load settlements with “camber” – the word is used here to mean any level which is built high in the knowledge that it will settle. Camber reduces the amount of shimming needed. The study is a mixture of management and engineering. It involves some geotechnics to identify likely maximum settlements, and how they develop with time. Much of the study relates to practical details, and how they fit into the long-term management of the building.
20	Title: A carbon-based assessment of alternative tower crane base solutions to maximise standardisation, reuse and offsite manufacture Proposed by: Neil Murphy, McGee and John T Roberts, CSDI Engineering Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Tower crane bases are significant temporary structures, constructed early in a project’s program, to support the equipment loads above and limit rotational deflection of the tower crane’s base. Structural support can come from the ground beneath, permanent columns locations or from temporary plunge columns. Conventional base solutions often comprise either a very large reinforced concrete block or a steel grillage of plate girders with depths of up to 2m. Design and installation of these temporary structures are often on a project’s critical programme path. Later in the project they are broken up or scrapped. This project aims to use carbon assessment to establish a baseline for current practice and then to explore how standard designs and components might reduce the carbon footprint of these elements. Could these strategies also give cost and programme benefits compared to conventional solutions?
21	Title: Enabling the reuse of crushed and graded demolition rubble in piling mats and an evaluation of the carbon savings Proposed by: James Simpson, McGee and John T Roberts, CSDI Engineering Preferred level: Undergraduate Description: Large piling equipment requires a stable base to operate from, and currently this often requires a ‘piling mat’ to be constructed across a site using crushed and graded rock. This adds time and cost to a project as well as increasing its carbon footprint. Often a structure has been demolished on the site before piling occurs but piling mat design to BRE470 is difficult to assess using this rubble. Thus, it is exported from site rather than reused, further adding to cost and carbon. This project aims to explore the potential for reusing crushed and graded demolition rubble as piling mats. It is proposed to use a series of finite element studies to assess the performance of the mats and a range of subgrades under the loads of the piling rigs above. The project would aim to identify the key enablers and evaluate the potential carbon savings for projects in London.