Overview
More than 50% of bridges in European cities are older than 40 years and bridges are a vital part of the infrastructure. Bridge managers are currently dealing with a large number of structurally deficient, obsolete bridges. The need to maintain, renew, strengthen and upgrade this part of the infrastructure will increase dramatically in the near future. PANTURA has bridges as its focal point. It is, however, important to stress that the approach proposed here can be applied to all infrastructure projects. The aims are to improve highly flexible off-site production processes, create resource-efficient construction sites, improve technologies and tools for bridge construction in densely populated areas and enhance communication between local authorities and construction companies.
The main benefits of PANTURA are relevant to the Work Programme and are as follows: a) equip authorities, stakeholders and experts with a comprehensive instrument (methods, tools and techniques) to prepare and perform bridge construction, maintenance, repair and renovation processes in the most effective and efficient way, in the shortest possible time, with the most efficient, sustainable use of resources and with zero disturbance and disruption for the urban environment and urban life of the inhabitants, b) reduce lifecycle costs, i.e. the more efficient use of public funds by saving a significant amount of time and money, c) use new materials to increase off-site industrial production, technical innovations and new markets for SMEs and d) improve benchmarking systems to promote a performance-based, innovative, creative construction industry.
PANTURA applies research based on a multidisciplinary, holistic approach and promotes innovative yet practical solutions, while covering the entire lifecycle process. PANTURA aims to realise these objectives by taking current research on construction processes, ICT tools and infrastructure technologies one step further.
Funding
Results
A new era in bridge building
Innovative techniques for construction and repair of bridges will ensure bridge safety, speed up the process, enhance mobility and upgrade infrastructure.
Bridges old and new dot the European landscape in all shapes and forms, crossing rivers, valleys and waterways to facilitate transport and the quality of life for numerous communities. The EU-funded project 'Flexible processes and improved technologies for urban infrastructure construction sites' (Pantura) is creating high-tech tools and strategies to radically upgrade and accelerate bridge construction, maintenance and renovation.
The project is designing ways to reduce labour, equipment and costly on-site activities through off-site construction, minimising disruption and reducing emissions. It is evaluating 20 existing bridge projects, establishing new strengthening techniques, investigating novel building materials, enhancing repair strategies and analysing best practices in the field. This lends insight into the impact of different decisions over time, introducing factors other than cost into the equation and providing an integrated approach to building and improving bridges.
Among its achievements, the project team developed a new strengthening and repair system for most types of bridges, featuring load-bearing beams that use pre-stressed composites without requiring anchorage systems. It has also made significant progress regarding the behaviour of adhesive joints and improvement of joints through geometrical modifications.
Once the project completes its operational strategy for organising construction processes in the most sustainable way, it will develop an interactive tool to plan and coordinate repairs and construction. The web-based tool will be able to integrate and manage logistics, geographical information, computer modelling scenarios and online monitoring.
Towards the end of the project, the team will produce a comprehensive report on technical specifications for new concept design and engineering, including design guidelines and best practices. The report will also contain recommendations for off-site fabrication and on-site assembly of bridge components. These outcomes will be invaluable in enhancing bridge repair and construction, improving urban infrastructure projects and benefiting the mobility of citizens significantly.