Fabio Biondini 1, Alessandra Marini 2

1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

2. Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy

In line with the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability embraces safety and resilience against natural and human-made hazards, whose potential impact is exacerbated by aging and structural deterioration under climate change, and the reduction of environmental, economic, and social impacts throughout the life-cycle of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructural facilities. To address these issues, structural engineering is undergoing a paradigm shift and a profound transition toward a life-cycle-oriented approach that promotes the design, maintenance and operation of sustainable structures and infrastructure systems by combining multiple performance requirements, such as eco-efficiency, durability, safety, reliability, robustness, functionality and resilience. Thus, a holistic approach is required to synergistically complement typical risk management aspects and sustainability requirements.

This Special Session is aimed at addressing these needs and contributing the life-cycle design and assessment of sustainable structures and infrastructure systems and welcomes contributions in line with the following goals:

- encourage the reduction of emissions and the Green transition of the built heritage for sustainable and equitable economic, social and environmental development, through the implementation of a sustainability concept combining eco-efficiency and life-cycle with safety, reliability, robustness, functionality, and resilience;

- promote the central role of structural engineering in the sustainability implementation process;

- broaden the vision of design and assessment of the built environment by considering structural performance and impacts over the entire life-cycle and with a multi-scale approach, from individual structures to the scale of urban and infrastructure systems;

- increase technical, social, and political awareness of the need for a life-cycle approach to the achievement of effective sustainability and encourage application in professional practice and implementation into regulatory frameworks.

Sponsored by the ReLUIS WP13 Research Project on Life-Cycle ad Sustainability of Structures and Infrastructure Systems (https://www.reluis.it/en). The ReLUIS project is funded by the Italian Department of Civil Protection (https://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/en).

Dominika Bysiec 1, Tomasz Maleska 1, Paulina Obara 2

1. Opole University of Technology, OPOLE, Poland

2. Kielce University of Technology, KIELCE, Poland

Lightweight structures used in civil engineering are increasingly used all over the world. The continuing development of lightweight structural systems has enabled structures to carry much greater loads than their own weight. Lightweight structures are civil engineering objects which distinguish themselves from similar structures erected up till now by relatively small amount of construction material and extremely high design parameters such as: large spans of roofs or bridges without middle supports, considerable height of buildings, towers or masts, and extremely large useful surface or free volume of buildings, tanks or reservoirs. It is intended that all the following topics can be included: spatial lattice structures, plate and shell structures, domes and membranes, high-rise buildings, towers, reservoirs, bridges, and thin-walled, tension, cable and pneumatic structures. Innovative structural design methodologies adopting structural optimization schemes to obtain efficient structural forms with improved structural performance, structural sections with enhanced load-carrying capacity compared to conventional structural sections are worth introducing. Any kind of material and structures defined above can be discussed. Therefore, this special session covers the analysis, evaluation, durability, and rehabilitation of all types of lightweight structures with special emphasis on life-cycle design, assessment, maintenance and management of such structures. Presentations on experimental and numerical analyzes of lightweight structures under various loads (static, dynamic) as well as innovative methods of construction and renovation are also welcome in the session.  For this reason, the special session is part of the current trends in life-cycle of lightweight structure engineering.

Arnold Yuan 1, Roderick Zhang 1, Constantine Angyridis 1

1. Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada

Determining a proper level of service and the corresponding capital budget level is a critical question in lifecycle infrastructure management. Many organizations relied on a lousy benchmarking approach, i.e., by looking over other organizations for a similar investment level. This apparently is not rational. This paper aims to present a macroeconomic analysis for determining the most efficient level of reinvestment on infrastructure renewals including climate mitigation and climate adaptation initiatives. Using a neoclassical modelling framework consisting of a representative household, a representative firm, and a government, the analysis investigates the effects of different investment levels on lifetime household utility. The impacts of investment on climate mitigation and climate adaptation programs on economic production and societal welfare are also investigated. What is particularly unique and novel of the study is that the analysis is built upon solid engineering analysis through asset-level deterioration modelling and inventory-level asset management optimization.

Francesco Cavalieri 1, Davide Bellotti 1, Bruno Dal Lago 2

1. Eucentre Foundation, Pavia, Italy

2. University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

The construction sector is responsible for a large portion of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as for a number of additional significant environmental and economic impacts. The sustainability principles emerged in the recent years aim to minimise the impacts of buildings’ life cycle phases through the use of operative tools, including life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) procedures. New principles and design targets are currently being developed to achieve objectives such as repairability, durability, flexibility and adaptability, deconstruction, the use of recycled, local and durable materials, as well as the concept of incremental rehabilitation and the requirement to carry out outside-only retrofitting operations.

The operators of the reinforced concrete precast sector are called to apply such principles in the design, assessment and renovation of this construction type. As an example, several innovative solutions have been proposed especially in the design and rehabilitation of precast industrial buildings; however, a thorough investigation of the benefits of these solutions to the structures’ life cycle performance is still missing. To help close gaps like this, this Special Session welcomes contributions from researchers, practitioners and manufacturers focussing on sustainability issues in the field of precast constructions. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Qualitative or quantitative life cycle environmental and economic assessment;

• Comparative evaluations of traditional and innovative technological solutions for the design and rehabilitation of precast buildings;

• Optimal seismic/energy integrated retrofitting of existing single-storey or multi-storey precast buildings;

• Use of innovative and more sustainable materials, such as recycled aggregates for precast concrete elements;

• Disassembly and reuse of precast concrete elements;

• Experimental campaigns related to the topics above.

Yue Pan 1, Yiqing Dong 2, Dalei Wang 1

1. Tongji University, Shanghai

2. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Description:

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in Bridge Engineering is revolutionizing the field, offering innovative solutions for design, construction, monitoring, and maintenance. This special session aims to explore the cutting-edge advancements and interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI, robotics, and Bridge Engineering. The goal is to provide a platform for experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss recent developments, share insights, and identify future research directions.

The special session will cover a wide range of topics, reflecting the diverse applications and unique challenges of employing AI and robotics in bridge engineering.

Topics for potential contributions include, but are not limited to:

• AI-driven structural health monitoring and damage detection

• Robotics for bridge inspection and maintenance

• Machine learning algorithms for predictive maintenance

• Advanced simulation and modeling techniques using AI

• Automated design optimization of bridge structures

• AI applications in construction management and safety

• Integration of AI with IoT for real-time bridge monitoring

• Case studies and practical implementations of AI and robotics in bridge projects

Filippo Giustozzi 1, Gerardo Flintsch 2

1. RMIT University, Melbourne, VICTORIA, Australia

2. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

This session addresses the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transport infrastructure, focusing on roads and airports. Given the significant environmental impact of transport infrastructure construction, maintenance, and disposal at the end-of-life, integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is crucial for achieving net-zero goals.

Current research is progressing in several key areas to tackle these challenges. Green public procurement (GPP) encourages the use of environmentally friendly materials and technologies in public projects, aiming to lower the carbon footprint from the outset. Additionally, the development and implementation of low-carbon materials, such as recycled concrete, asphalt, and innovative composites, are reducing emissions associated with construction and maintenance activities.

Low-carbon design and maintenance strategies for roads and airports are also critical. These strategies involve optimising design processes to minimise resource consumption and emissions, incorporating renewable energy sources, and implementing efficient maintenance practices that extend infrastructure lifespan while reducing environmental impact.

The session will cover a broad range of topics, from LCA of innovative materials and construction techniques to policy frameworks and case studies of successful applications. It will delve into methodologies for conducting LCAs with the aim of producing EPDs, emphasising their role in decision-making and enhancing transparency in environmental performance reporting. Economic and regulatory implications of these sustainable practices will also be explored, considering both short-term and long-term benefits and challenges.

By bringing together experts, policymakers, and industry practitioners, this session aims to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, advancing sustainable transport infrastructure. Attendees are expected to gain a comprehensive understanding of effectively integrating LCA principles and EPDs in the design and maintenance of roads and airports, driving progress toward net-zero emissions.

Yaohan Li 1, Junlin Heng 2, You Dong 3, Dan M Frangopol 4

1. Department of Construction and Quality Management, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China

2. Department of Civil Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, United States

Under the influence of climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have escalated globally. Concurrently, rising temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations are accelerating the aging and deterioration of civil infrastructure, thereby increasing the risk of structural failure. These effects pose significant threats to the performance, safety, and reliability of systems throughout their service life. Therefore, adaptation and mitigation strategies that incorporate advanced technologies such as digital twins are urgently needed to enhance the climate resilience of civil infrastructure at private, public, and community levels. In particular, it is essential to integrate these strategies and new approaches within a life-cycle context. Digital twins, when integrated with life-cycle management approaches, offer exceptional capabilities by synergizing models and data to simulate, monitor, assess, predict, and optimize the long-term performance of systems in a changing environment. This special session is designed to bring researchers together to exchange state-of-the-art knowledge and foster collaborations that leverage digital twins alongside traditional life-cycle management to advance climate resilience of civil infrastructure. Our discussions focus on but are not limited to the following areas: (1) Life-cycle performance assessment under deterioration and climate change through predictive models; (2) Novel frameworks, methodologies, and hardware to support interactive structural digital twins for aging infrastructure; (3) Leveraging digital twins for life-cycle assessment to analyze vulnerability, risk, and resilience subjected to extreme events; (4) Integration of digital twins with the metaverse through virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR); (5) Advanced uncertainty quantification and modeling; and (6) Life-cycle management associated with climate adaptation, mitigation, and decision-making.

zhibin Lin 1, Ji Dang 2, Fujian Tang 3, Hong Pan 4

1. Zhibin Lin, Associate Professor, North Dakota State University, Fargo, United States

2. Saitama University, Saitama, Japan

3. Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

4. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States

Description:

Civil infrastructure faces diverse stresses—aging effects, varying operational conditions, and environmental impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to understand their health state during the service and provide timely conditional assessment. Climate change exacerbates infrastructure degradation, underscoring the urgency of timely health assessments. Recent advancements in sensing technology and data mining have spurred breakthroughs in structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure and particularly, the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning approaches further empower data-driven and AI-enriched SHM, striving for structural integrity, durability, and resilience.

This Special Session aims to bring together leading experts in the field of SHM to explore the latest advancements in this domain. The goal is to create a forum that covers a diverse array of topics while highlighting the unique characteristics that shape our understanding of structural safety and integrity. 

Topics for potential contributions include, but are not limited to:

• Advancements in structural sensing technology and sensors

• Vibration-based SHM

• Nondestructive testing and examination, and vibration-based SHM

• Signal process, damage detection, and conditional assessment

• Structural monitoring, robotics, and computer visions

• SHM in broad engineering applications

• AI, data-driven, and digital twin approaches in SHM

Mojtaba Dr Mahmoodian 1, Sujeeva Prof Setunge 1

1. RMIT University, Melbourne, VICTORIA, Australia

With the advancements in digital technologies infrastructure engineering industry is moving towards more sustainable construction and operation. Wireless sensor technology, Smart and/or self-sensing materials, Internet of Things, 3D visualisation, Artificial Intelligence, NDT, drone technology and image processing are used in whole life cycle of infrastructure from planning and design to construction and maintenance and eventually decomposition.  Cost and risk reduction, safety and reliability improvement, failure prediction, minimising environmental impact, optimum maintenance management and extending the remaining lifetime of civil infrastructure are potential consequences of using such intelligent technologies in infrastructure industry.

This special session invites research works with the focus on existing challenges in adaptation and integration of these technologies in the industry. The experiences of developing such technologies and their application on various infrastructure (such as bridges, tunnels, dams, energy infrastructure, pipelines, coastal and marine infrastructure, etc) is of interest of this special session. The latest theoretical, practical advances and case studies on intelligent planning, design, construction, monitoring and maintenance of civil infrastructure are welcome to be presented in this special session.

DHANADA KANTA MISHRA 1, Garfield GUAN 2

1. RaSpect AI, Hong Kong, SELECT STATE, Hong Kong SAR

2. ConHubForm Construction Technology Co Ltd, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

Autonomous Inspection and Lifecycle Maintainance Management of Built Infrastructure using AI

Proposal for a Special Session

As infrastructure systems age and grow in complexity, the need for innovative approaches to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness in infrastructure management has become paramount. This special session aims to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to revolutionize the field of infrastructure lifecycle management.

The session will focus on the latest advancements in AI-driven techniques for infrastructure inspection and maintenance, covering the following key areas:

1. AI-based Inspection and Defect Detection: Leveraging computer vision and machine learning for automated visual inspection, integrating sensor data analysis to enhance condition assessment, and addressing challenges in data availability and integration.

2. Predictive Maintenance and Decision Support: Developing AI-driven models for deterioration prediction, designing decision support frameworks that optimize maintenance planning, and exploring the integration of AI with emerging technologies like digital twins.

3. Autonomous Inspection and Maintenance Robotics: Showcasing the application of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based robotic systems for autonomous infrastructure tasks, and addressing the technical, operational, and regulatory challenges in deploying these systems.

4. Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Governance: Incorporating insights from fields like computer science, cybersecurity, and policy-making to address the broader implications of AI-driven infrastructure management, and discussing the ethical, legal, and governance frameworks required for responsible deployment.

By bringing together researchers, practitioners, and industry experts, this special session aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of innovative solutions. The session will serve as a platform to identify and address key challenges, showcase practical case studies, and contribute to the advancement of guidelines and standards for the effective integration of AI in infrastructure lifecycle management. We believe this session will be a valuable addition to the conference, providing a forward-looking exploration of the role of AI in optimizing built infrastructure.

Yasutoshi Nomura 1, Hitoshi Furuta 2, Nacati Catbas 3, Kei Kawamura 4, Hisao Emoto 5

1. Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, SHIGA, Japan

2. Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan

3. University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida

4. Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan

5. Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

In recent years, the efficient and accurate assessment of structural integrity has become increasingly important and urgent. To mitigate maintenance loads and costs, significant attention has been directed towards smart maintenance leveraging AI and data science. Smart maintenance encompasses a range of nondestructive testing methods, including ultrasonic, electromagnetic, laser, and radar technologies, as well as advanced image processing techniques.

In this session, we will explore the applicability and real-world applications of Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Systems, and Data Science to infrastructure challenges such as inspection, monitoring, and maintenance. This session aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements and practical implementations in the field. We invite discussions on a variety of topics, including but not limited to:

• Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection

• Bayesian approaches for probabilistic assessment and decision-making

• Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems and their integration with smart technologies

• Development and application of smart sensors and IoT devices for real-time monitoring

• Data fusion and advanced analytics for enhancing maintenance strategies

• Case studies demonstrating successful AI-driven maintenance solutions

• Innovative nondestructive testing methods and their effectiveness

• Challenges and future directions in AI and data science applications for infrastructure

This session will provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to share their insights, discuss challenges, and present cutting-edge solutions aimed at improving the longevity and reliability of infrastructure through smart maintenance techniques.

Laura Ierimonti 1, Simon Laflamme 2, Ayan Sadhu 3, Ilaria Venanzi 1

1. University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

2. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA

3. Western University, London, Ontario, Canada

Recently, numerous catastrophic events occurred worldwide involving bridges, dams, and other critical infrastructures, leading to significant damages, disruptions, and even losses of lives. The evaluation and management procedures for these structures are often outdated and inadequate for current design and maintenance requirements, and shall be conducted within a short timeframe using limited financial and human resources to guarantee effective and timely actions.

Therefore, there is a pressing need to generate appropriate tools to support decision-making processes aimed at improving the safety and resilience of infrastructures. Effective resource allocation is crucial for developing efficient approaches for optimal infrastructure management planning, risk mitigation strategies, and recovery actions. In this sense, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can support risk assessment and decision-making procedures.

It is not uncommon for traditional design and management approaches to be supplanted by life-cycle analysis-based methodologies, which enable consideration of a broader range of performance metrics over a system’s lifetime. Life-cycle analysis allows accounting for uncertainties in the design, considering the effects of multiple concurrent or interacting hazards, and addressing potential deterioration and progressive damage. It follows that the integration of SHM systems within these life-cycle analysis procedures could be useful at quantifying benefits of SHM. For example, such advance models can be leveraged to understand how an SHM system can be used to reduce structural condition uncertainties over multiple hazards conditions.

This special session focuses on SHM-based risk analysis methodologies for aging bridges, and on approaches for optimal management and decision-making from a life-cycle perspective. Accordingly, this special session promotes dialogue between consultants and researchers engaged in SHM, bridge risk assessment and management, bringing together technical advancements as well as case studies and field experiences.

Yiannis Xenidis 1, Elisabete R. Teixeira 2

1. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

2. ISISE-UM Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering-University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

In the EU ecosystems are alarmingly degrading, thus increasing the impact of natural disasters and preventing from efficiently reaching carbon capture and storage goals. The, recently adopted by the EU’s Council, Nature Restoration Law is the first European-wide, comprehensive law aiming at restoring ecosystems, habitats and species in order to enable the long-term and sustained recovery of biodiverse and resilient nature, contribute to achieving the EU’s climate mitigation and climate adaptation objectives, and meet international commitments.

Civil engineering has a novel role to play in this context as for the first time in history, it is required to be implemented reversely: Instead of adjusting human life to the natural environment, the call is now to restore nature towards securing human life. While life cycle civil engineering is discussed, promoted, and implemented for many years, the results are obviously not satisfactory, hence the need for immediate action and maybe a shift of paradigm regarding civil engineering research, education, and practice.

The scope of the Special Session is to discuss at a global scale the whole spectrum for a more effective life cycle civil engineering towards restoring nature. That said, contributions are welcome on the broad fields of research, education, and practice on the following specific topics:

• Impact of natural disasters and climate change on civil engineering works.

• Carbon management in the whole lifecycle of infrastructure.

• Alignment of urban planning and execution of urban plans to serve nature's long-term protection.

• Civil engineering works design for resilience, disassembly, prefabrication, whole life care and structures’ life extension.

• Local authorities’ capabilities to address lifecycle engineering and the respective standards to disaster resilience measures and risks' management.

• Sociotechnical systems and human factors in built environment systems.

• Exploitation of digital tools for effective lifecycle civil engineering.

• Professional and academic training on civil engineering for restoring nature.

Jaap Bakker 1, Han Roebers 2

1. Rijkswaterstaat, Utrecht, UTRECHT, Netherlands

2. Province of North Holland, Haarlem, North Holland, the Netherlands

Life Cycle thinking and acting have become increasingly important for anyone who takes part in designing, building, maintaining and operating civil structures and networks. After a period of industrialisation with huge developments of all kinds of large-scale construction projects in the post-war period in the last century, the ageing of the civil assets has become a significant concern. While society is mainly dependent on these assets, they are gradually strained by the passage of time and changing societal demands, making them technically and functionally obsolete. The tremendous investments needed are an economic challenge and an environmental burden. The scarcity of human labour and material resources and the cultural value of several civil structures add to the challenge. LCM addresses this complex and dynamic interplay of performance, risks and cost over the life cycle of civil structures. Life cycle thinking and acting are vital to ensure that civil structures are fit for future needs, resilient to expected and unexpected events, and cost-effective over time.

This special session aims on methodologies and techniques that support life cycle desicion making. This may include quantification methods for future risks, quantifation methods for future performance and quantification of future cost over the life cycle. But this may also include methodologies to combine desicion parameters needed to manage these parameters and to support integral desicion support based on combinations of LCM factors.

Li LAI 1, You DONG 1

1. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The long-term performance deterioration of bridges reduces their load-bearing capacity, leading to accidents, making maintenance essential for safe operation. However, government reports from the USA and China indicate significant investment shortfalls in bridge maintenance, each exceeding hundreds of billion. Balancing structural risk and minimizing maintenance costs is a major challenge. Traditional bridge management relies on expert judgment based on current inspection reports, which fails to account for historical data and future deterioration. To address this, a more intelligent agent is needed to optimize inspection timing, preventive maintenance, and rehabilitation using infrastructural information. This study employs the Actor-Critic algorithm from deep reinforcement learning to process structural data and generate maintenance actions. Training the intelligent agent requires experience in various scenarios to provide optimal maintenance actions for each situation. This involves creating a virtual environment based on digital twins’ technology. The agent's training leverages the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) method to interact with the virtual environment and learn effective management policies. A practical application of this approach is demonstrated through a comparative study using an actual steel pipe arch bridge. The study benchmarks the performance of the intelligent agent against traditional maintenance strategies. The findings reveal that both policies can ensure the safety of the bridge, but the intelligent agent can reduce inspection costs by 75% and rehabilitation costs by 15%. The major functionalities of the digital twins are displayed in the accompanying video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PGvA9ELwj0

Radhika Pajgade 1 , Ajmal Babu Mahasrankintakam 1 , Manish Kumar Jha 1 , Siddhartha Ghosh 1 , Meera Raghunandan 1

1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

This study presents a detailed comparison of life cycle costs (LCC) of short-span road bridges made with prestressed concrete girders and steel girders. The research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the LCC implications of using different materials for bridge construction, considering various factors such as construction costs, maintenance and repair costs, environmental impacts, social costs, user costs, and recycling/dumping costs. A new life cycle cost Assessment (LCCA) framework is developed to accommodate country-specific cost data and facilitate comparisons across different bridge designs and locations. The study focuses on the comparative LCCA of standard PSC-girder RC-deck and steel-girder RC-deck bridges. The results show that the LCC of steel-girder bridges can be significantly lower than those made with prestressed concrete girders, depending on the target service life and bridge design parameters. This research contributes to a better understanding of the economic, environmental, and social implications of using different materials for short-span bridge construction and provides recommendations for policymakers, designers, and builders to optimize LCC decisions.

Ajmal Babu Mahasrankintakam 1 , Radhika Pajgade 1 , Siddhartha Ghosh 1 , Meera Raghunandan 1

1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

This paper presents the development and application of a life cycle cost assessment (LCCA) tool specifically designed for short span bridges. The LCCA tool integrates various costs associated with bridge construction, maintenance, repair, and replacement over its entire lifespan, considering factors such as materials, inflation, environmental impacts, and traffic data. The tool provides valuable insights into the long-term economic benefits of investing in more durable bridge designs and cost-effective maintenance strategies. Examples are presented to demonstrate the practical application of the LCCA tool, its ease of use and adaptability to user-specific databases. The LCCA tools makes it easy to compare different design alternatives in terms of their economic, environmental and social impacts, and helps us choose the most sustainable option.  In future, the tool can be integrated with an optimal structural design software for short span steel bridges, enhancing decision-making processes in bridge design and maintenance.

Blaz Zoubek 1 , Jure Zizmond 1 , Tatjana Isakovic 2

1. Chair of Structural and Earthquake Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia

2. SPEKTRAL d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia

This study introduces a secondary backup system designed to protect cladding panels in RC precast buildings from seismic activity. The system features specialized anchoring components and a rope restrainer, which only activates if the primary connections between the main structure and the panel fail. This failure triggers significant impact forces on the restrainer and anchoring elements. To design these components effectively, a straightforward yet accurate method for estimating impact forces is essential. Consequently, a user-friendly formula was developed for this purpose. An extensive parametric study, utilizing response history analysis (RHA), was conducted to examine the impact of various parameters on the forces experienced by the restrainers. The study’s findings were used to validate the proposed analytical formula. Despite its simplicity, the formula demonstrated good accuracy and can be applied to the design of short restrainers for protecting cladding panels in RC precast buildings from earthquake effects. This research is particularly relevant for the retrofitting of existing single-storey or multi-storey precast buildings with concrete claddings.