• composite material
• structural assessment
• SUREBridge project
• Van Spangen Bridge

This MSc Thesis regards the structural assessment of the Van Spangen Bridge, an urban bridge located in Rotterdam, following the procedures developed within the European research project SUREBridge. SUREBridge (Sustainable Refurbishment of Existing Bridges) has developed a novel technical solution for the refurbishment of existing bridges with the following objectives:
- To strengthen bridges and increase their residual load-bearing capacity;
- To extend the traffic capacity of bridges by widening their road section;
- To use advanced composite materials for increased durability and life span;
- To develop rapid, non-intrusive construction and maintenance systems and techniques.
The focus of the SUREBridge project is on both developing and implementing innovative solutions to solve problems and/or overcome existing shortcomings associated with traditional solutions.
The SUREBridge project started in October 2015 and ended in March 2018, for a total duration of 30 months. The project was coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden). Partners of the project were FiberCore Europe, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), AICE Consulting, Pisa (Italy), and the University of Pisa (Italy).
The Municipality of Rotterdam was involved as a stakeholder in the project right from its start. The Municipality manages a large number of urban bridges, so its technical staff was particularly interested in the outcomes of the project. So, in order to evaluate practical applicability of the SUREBridge technique, the Municipality of Rotterdam asked the SUREBridge consortium to carry out a preliminary analysis on two urban bridges located in Rotterdam: the Van Spangen Bridge and the Duivesteyn Bridge.
The first bridge is the main subject of this MSc Thesis. Since the construction of the bridge (1933), various types of damage and degradation phenomena have evolved. So, it was necessary to assess the current load-carrying capacity of the bridge and compare it the load models prescribed by current regulations (Eurocoded and Dutch codes). The assessment was conducted following a standard operating procedure (SOP) elaborated within the project. The results show that a strengthening is necessary on both the superstructure and foundations of the bridge.