Overview
The project will develop a software that can be used for improved predictions of durability and safety of transport structures. The software will cover all phases of their life cycle, starting from their design and construction, followed by their long-time service up to their removal. It will improve their economy, safety and serviceability, thereby it will contribute to sustainable development in the area of transport infrastructure. The software will be integrated into ATENA FEM software that has already been used for design and computer simulations of RC and other engineering structures all over the world and the Czech Republic. The new tool will help in development and maintenance of bridges, tunnels and other transport constructions. It will also assist in making decisions in their planning, future investment, maintenance and reconstructions. It will employ the most modern methods and procedures. For example, the construction phase will account for phenomena like hydration heat, hydration moisture, shrinkage, all of these having significant influence on creation of micro-cracks in concrete that in turn negatively impact corrosion of reinforcement and time degradation of concrete. It can be due to carbonation, ASR, chloride ingress etc. The simulation model will be based on global assessment of structures recommended by the international standard 'fib Model Code 2010'. It will use stochastic analysis and execute probabilistic and risk analysis of the transport infrastructure. By using it, engineers will be able to carry out true performance-based design of transport structures that results in better economy, safety and longer durability of new and existing transport structures. The presented analysis requires proper input parametres. These can be obtained from literature, lab tests or in-situ measurements. The applicability of the presented model as a whole will be validated by virtual simulations on selected representative structures.