From Analysis of Information Needs towards an Information Model of Railway Infrastructure

Railway is a tightly coupled network, where the operations are directly effected by the condition of rail infrastructure. With the advancement of ICT, a railway network exploit various computerized systems for efficient railway monitoring, maintenance and operations. However, these systems suffer from number of limitations, mainly, the data related to each asset type (e.g. Track, Bridge, etc) are stored in separate database management system. Such scattered and isolated nature of data present the island of information, while making it impossible to perform the sound decision analysis. In this paper, we propose a nework wide information model of railway infrastructure that structure the railway object, specify their properties and identify their inter-relationships. The presented information model supports the railway monitoring, maintenance and operations by providing the layout of railway infrastructure. Structuring data in the form of railway assets, railway risk assessment, railway load management, railway maintenance, and railway failure will provide a solid base to railway stakeholders, e.g. infrastructure managers, to take informed decisions based on data properties

A multi-objective decision making model for risk-based maintenance scheduling of railway earthworks

Aged earthworks constitute a major proportion of European rail infrastructures, the re-placement and remediation of which poses a serious problem. Considering the scale of the networks involved, it is infeasible both in terms of track downtime and money to replace all of these assets. It is, therefore, imperative to develop a rational means of managing slope infrastructure to determine the best use of available resources and plan maintenance in order of criticality. To do so, it is necessary to not just consider the structural performance of the asset but also to consider the safety and security of its users, the socioeconomic impact of remediation/failure and the relative importance of the asset to the network. This paper addresses this by looking at maintenance planning on a network level using multi‐attribute utility theory (MAUT). MAUT is a methodology that allows one to balance the priorities of different objectives in a harmonious fashion allowing for a holistic means of ranking assets and, subsequently, a rational means of investing in maintenance. In this situation, three different attributes are considered when examining the utility of different maintenance options, namely availability (the user cost), economy (the financial implications) and structural reliability (the structural performance and subsequent safety of the structure). The main impact of this paper is to showcase that network maintenance planning can be carried out proactively in a manner that is balanced against the needs of the organization.Geo-engineerin

Network level bridges maintenance planning using Multi-Attribute Utility Theory

Bridge infrastructure managers are facing multiple challenges to improve the availability and serviceability of ageing infrastructure, while the maintenance planning is constrained by budget restrictions. Many research efforts are ongoing, for the last few decades, ranging from development of bridge management system, decision support tools, optimisation models, life cycle cost analysis, etc. Since transport infrastructures are deeply embedded in society, they are not only subject to technical requirements, but are required to meet the requirements of societal and economic developments. Therefore, bridge maintenance planning should accommodate multiple performance goals which need to be quantified by various performance indicators. In this paper, an application of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) for bridge maintenance planning is illustrated with a case study of bridges from the Netherlands road network. MAUT seeks to optimise multiple objectives by suggesting a trade-off among them and finally assigns a ranking to the considered bridges. Moreover, utility functions of MAUT appropriately account for the involved uncertainty and risk attitude of infrastructure managers. The main contribution of this study is in presenting a proof-of-concept on how MAUT provides a systematic approach to improve the decision-making of maintenance planning by making use of available data, accommodating multiple performance goals, their uncertainty, and preferences of infrastructure managers

Inspection and maintenance KPIs to support decision making integrated into Digital Twin tool

In the H2020 European project ASHVIN “Assistants for Healthy, Safe, and Productive Virtual Construction Design, Operation & Maintenance using a Digital Twin”, a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Performance Indicators (PIs) to plan and control productive, resource efficient, and safe maintenance are being developed for transport infrastructure. This paper is presenting PIs and KPIs for the assessment and monitoring of the following aspects: Productivity, Resource Efficiency, Cost, Health & Safety during the operational life cycle stage, which is mainly focusing on the inspection and maintenance planning. Quantifiable and measurable PIs and KPIs are proposed and applied on two demonstration projects, highway bridge in Spain and airport runway in Croatia, as part of transportation infrastructure. Proposed PIs and KPIs are integrated into digital twins of the analyzed assets and into decision making tools for risk based maintenance planning. This paper presents the overview of the proposed digital PIs and KPIs applied on two demonstration projects and the integration into decision support tools for efficient and sustainable maintenance planning.Postprint (published version

D5.1 SHM digital twin requirements for residential, industrial buildings and bridges

This deliverable presents a report of the needs for structural control on buildings (initial imperfections, deflections at service, stability, rheology) and on bridges (vibrations, modal shapes, deflections, stresses) based on state-of-the-art image-based and sensor-based techniques. To this end, the deliverable identifies and describes strategies that encompass state-of-the-art instrumentation and control for infrastructures (SHM technologies).Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::8 - Treball Decent i Creixement EconòmicObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraPreprin

Getting More Out of Existing Structures: Steel Bridge Strengthening via UHPFRC

Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced cement-based composite (UHPFRC) has been increasingly adopted for rehabilitation projects over the past two decades, proving itself as a reliable, cost-efficient and sustainable alternative against conventional methods. High compressive strength, low permeability and high ductility are some of the characteristics that render UHPFRC an excellent material for repairing existing aged infrastructure. UHPFRC is most commonly applied as a surface layer for strengthening and rehabilitating concrete structures such as bridge decks or building slabs. However, its implementation with steel structures has so far been limited. In this work, the UHPFRC strengthening of a steel bridge is investigated both in simulation as well as in the laboratory, by exploiting a real-world case study: the Buna Bridge. This Croatian riveted steel bridge, constructed in 1893, repaired in 1953, and decommissioned since 2010, was removed from its original location and transported to laboratory facilities for testing prior to and after rehabilitation via addition of UHPFRC slab. The testing campaign includes static and dynamic experiments featuring state-of-the-art monitoring systems such as embedded fiber optics, acoustic emission sensors and digital image correlation. The information obtained prior to rehabilitation serves for characterization of the actual condition of the structure and allows the design of the rehabilitation solution. The UHPFRC slab thickness was optimized to deliver optimal fatigue and ultimate capacity improvement at reasonable cost. Once the design was implemented, a second round of experiments was conducted in order to confirm the validity of the solution, with particular attention allocated to the interface between the steel substrate and the UHPFRC overlay, as the connection between both materials may result in a weak contact point. A detailed fatigue analysis, based on updated FEM models prior to and after strengthening, combined with the results of a reliability analysis prove the benefits of adoption of such a solution via the significant extension of the structural lifespan