IABSE - Commission 5

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Commission 5

Existing Structures

Objectives
C5 is dedicated to enhance existing methods and develop new tools for an economically efficient, environment-friendly, and socially reconcilable decision-making process on existing bridges and other structures. To this end the insights gained from both pre- and post mortem investigation of structures will be used, effectively combining forensics with diagnostics.

The commission strives to establish performance goals that are in compliance with the societal values that can be compared to measurable key performance indicators. By considering the long-term aspects, C5 seeks to enhance methods that allow definition of intervention strategies for different types of structures. These methods need to be tailored for different levels of data availability as these can vary from simple inventory lists to comprehensive information models (BIM).

The commission will not just deal with structural engineers, but will work to involve more people representing different stakeholders from around the globe, such as owners and operators.

Field of Activity

In the short-term period, C5 will focus on the following activities, which will be facilitated via Task Group deployments:

General:

Organising pre-conference courses/sessions dedicated to the application of knowledge, methodology, and novel techniques for the operation and maintenance of existing structures and infrastructures. Other relevant topics such as ethical or legal issues may also be explored.
Raise the interest of (younger) engineers from all over the world in the field of risk and asset management of existing structures and infrastructures.
Address the implications of climate change on structure and infrastructure operation and maintenance, focusing on accelerated deterioration, safety, service life, and resilience.

Detailed:

Share knowledge of technical, human and organisational causes of failures and of investigation methods and techniques. Explore the possibilities of new technologies (like AI) for forensic structural engineering. (TG 5.1)
Decision-making Structure Management Systems (SMS) Models. (TG 5.4)
Seismic retrofitting of existing structures, namely cultural heritage structures, including seismic assessment of existing buildings and related decision-making. (TG 5.5)
Connect BMS (Bridge Management Systems) with existing BIM solutions, based on Open BIM standards. (TG 5.6)
Promote and organise the use of digital twin methodologies for existing bridges and structures. (TG 5.7)
Determine the resilience of critical structures based on analysis of different components' failure scenarios, including structural components and critical infrastructures. (TG 5.8)
Clarify the role of remote and autonomous inspection of bridges in the context of diagnosis and prognosis. (TG 5.9)
Develop a response team which will act promptly after extreme events, such as earthquakes. (TG 5.10)
Propose methodologies to transit SHM from research to practice, with real-world applications from around the world. (TG 5.11)

Downloads

Objective and Scope of C5 2017-2025

Events

Current Task Groups under Commission 5

TG5.1 Forensic Structural Engineering
Chair: Karel Terwel, the Netherlands

TG5.2 Key Performance Indicators: Definition
Chair: Jose Matos, Portugal

TG5.3 Gerontology of Bridge Structures
Chair: Jan Bien, Poland

TG5.4 Structure Management Systems (SMS): Survey on Implemented Decision-making Models
Chair: Poul Linneberg, Denmark

TG5.5 Conservation and Seismic Strengthening / Retrofitting of Existing Unreinforced Masonry Structures
Chair: Andreas Lampropoulos, UK

TG5.6 BIM in Structure Management
Chair: Chang-Su Shim, Korean Rep.

TG5.7 Digital Twins on Existing Bridges

Chair: Diogo Ribeiro, Portugal