Bridge information modelling (BrIM) invokes stakeholder collaboration, supported by policy and process frameworks, combined with interoperable technology, to manage information and enable effective decision making throughout the lifecycle of a bridge asset. This paper considers the application of BrIM for the proposed rehabilitation of a heritage listed viaduct. The structure under consideration is the landmark Chetwynd viaduct in Cork (Ireland), which formed part of the Cork–Bandon railway infrastructure constructed in 1851 and decommissioned in 1961. As with infrastructure of its type, few as-built records exist. Consequently, the geometry, material properties and condition of the existing structure are required to inform the initial feasibility assessment and subsequent design, construction and operation of this viaduct asset. Respective BrIM and traditional approaches to the data capture phase are outlined and compared in terms of time, expertise and deliverables. The significant deliverables from the traditional approach include a three-dimensional (3D) solid model and independent 2D drawings. Significant deliverables achieved using a BrIM approach include an intelligent parametric 3D model and associated 2D drawings, as well as integrated datasets representative of the ‘as-is’ structure. Based on reported research, the initial effort and time expended on model creation in particular will enable significant future benefits.

This paper describes repurposing projects using decommissioned wind turbine blades in bridges conducted under a multinational research project entitled “Re-Wind”. Repurposing is defined by the Re-Wind Network as the re-engineering, redesigning, and remanufacturing of a wind blade that has reached the end of its life on a turbine and taken out of service and then reused as a load-bearing structural element in a new structure (e.g., bridge, transmission pole, sound barrier, seawall, shelter). The issue of end-of-life of wind turbine blades is becoming a significant sustainability concern for wind turbine manufacturers, many of whom have committed to the 2030 or 2040 sustainability goals that include zero-waste for their products. Repurposing is the most sustainable end-of-life solution for wind turbine blades from an environmental, economic, and social perspective. The Network has designed and constructed two full-size pedestrian/cycle bridges—one on a greenway in Cork, Ireland and the other in a quarry in Draperstown, Northern Ireland, UK. The paper describes the design, testing, and construction of the two bridges and provides cost data for the bridges. Two additional bridges that are currently being designed for construction in Atlanta, GA, USA are also described. The paper also presents a step-by-step procedure for designing and building civil structures using decommissioned wind turbine blades. The steps are: project planning and funding, blade sourcing, blade geometric characterization, material testing, structural testing, designing, cost estimating, and construction.

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials have been used in a variety of civil and infrastructure applications since the early1980s, including in wind turbine blades. The world is now confronting the problem of how to dispose of decommissioned blades in an environmentally sustainable manner. One proposed solution is to repurpose the blades for use in new structures. One promising repurposing application is in pedestrian and cycle bridges. This paper reports on the characterization of a 13.4-m long FRP wind blade manufactured by LM Windpower (Kolding, Demark) in 1994. Two blades of this type were used as girders for a pedestrian bridge on a greenway (walking and biking trail) in Cork, Ireland. The as-received geometric, material, and structural properties of the 27 year-old blade were obtained for use in the structural design of the bridge. The material tests included physical (volume fraction and laminate architecture) and mechanical (tension and compression) tests at multiple locations. Full-scale flexural testing of a 4-m long section of the blade between 7 and 11 m from the root of the blade was performed to determine the load-deflection behavior, ultimate capacity, strain history, and failure modes when loaded to failure. Key details of the testing and the results are provided. The results of the testing revealed that the FRP material is still in excellent condition and that the blade has the strength and stiffness in flexure to serve as a girder for the bridge constructed.

Anaerobic corrosion of steel reinforcement is rarely reported and limited literature is available on the subject. Corrosion of steel is an electrochemical process requiring a supply of oxygen in the presence of moisture. Steel corrosion product usually occupies a much larger volume than the un-corroded steel resulting in cracked or spalled concrete. If the supply of oxygen is restricted, black rust may be formed by the process of anaerobic corrosion. Black rust is not expansive, which makes it particularly difficult to detect in reinforced concrete. This paper presents a case study of anaerobic corrosion in the Mizen Bridge, together with an in-depth review of anaerobic corrosion of reinforcement in concrete, outlining black rust formation, characteristics and detection methods.

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