Access profile

The natural route for entering the doctoral programme is for students who have competed and passed the master's degree in Structural and Construction Engineering at the UPC (MEEC-UPC). Students who have taken other master’s degrees must show that they have basic knowledge of the main subjects in construction technology, that is: structural concrete, metal and mixed structures, construction materials, durability, maintenance and management of structures and civil works. Students should have some knowledge of programming and software packages for the analysis and calculation of the structures.

Output profile

Doctoral candidates who complete a doctoral degree will have acquired the following competencies, which are needed to carry out quality research (Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies):

a) A systematic understanding of the field of study and a mastery of the research skills and methods related to the field.
b) An ability to conceive, design or create, put into practice and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.
c) An ability to contribute to pushing back the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
d) A capacity for critical analysis and an ability to assess and summarise new and complex ideas.
e) An ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general as regards their fields of knowledge in the manner and languages that are typical of the international scientific community to which they belong.
f) An ability to foster scientific, technological, social, artistic and cultural progress in academic and professional contexts within a knowledge-based society.

The award of a doctoral degree must equip the graduate for work in a variety of settings, especially those requiring creativity and innovation. Doctoral graduates must have at least acquired the personal skills needed to:

a) Develop in contexts in which there is little specific information.
b) Find the key questions that must be answered to solve a complex problem.
c) Design, create, develop and undertake original, innovative projects in their field.
d) Work as part of a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary context.
e) Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgements with limited information.
f) Offer criticism on and intellectually defend solutions.

Finally, with respect to competencies, doctoral students must:
a) have acquired advanced knowledge at the frontier of their discipline and demonstrated, in the context of internationally recognised scientific research, a deep, detailed and well-grounded understanding of theoretical and practical issues and scientific methodology in one or more research fields;
b) have made an original and significant contribution to scientific research in their field of expertise that has been recognised as such by the international scientific community;
c) have demonstrated that they are capable of designing a research project that serves as a framework for carrying out a critical analysis and assessment of imprecise situations, in which they are able to apply their contributions, expertise and working method to synthesise new and complex ideas that yield a deeper knowledge of the research context in which they work;
d) have developed sufficient autonomy to set up, manage and lead innovative research teams and projects and scientific collaborations (both national and international) within their subject area, in multidisciplinary contexts and, where appropriate, with a substantial element of knowledge transfer;
e) have demonstrated that they are able to carry out their research activity in a socially responsible manner and with scientific integrity;
f) have demonstrated, within their specific scientific context, that they are able to make cultural, social or technological advances and promote innovation in all areas within a knowledge-based society;
g) have demonstrated that they are able to participate in scientific discussions at the international level in their field of expertise and disseminate the results of their research activity to audiences of all kinds.

Number of places

20

Duration of studies and dedication regime

Duration
The maximum period of study for full-time doctoral studies is three years, counted from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. The academic committee of the doctoral programme may authorise a doctoral candidate to pursue doctoral studies on a part-time basis. In this case, the maximum period of study is five years, counting from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. For calculating these periods, the date of admission is considered to be the date of the first enrolment for tutorials, and the date of submission the moment in which the Doctoral School officially deposits the doctoral thesis.

For full-time doctoral candidates, the minimum period of study is two years, counted from the date of an applicant's admission to the programme until the date on which the doctoral thesis is deposited; for part-time doctoral candidates it is four years. When there are justified grounds for doing so, and the thesis supervisor and academic tutor have given their authorisation, doctoral candidates may request that the academic committee of their doctoral programme exempt them from the minimum period of study requirement.

The calculation of periods of study will not include periods of absence due to illness, pregnancy or any other reason provided for in the regulations in force. Students who find themselves in any of these circumstances must notify the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which, where appropriate, must inform the Doctoral School. Doctoral candidates may also temporarily withdraw from the programme for up to one year, and this period may be extended for an additional year. Doctoral candidates who wish to interrupt their studies must submit a justified request to the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which will decide whether or not to approve the request. Each programme will establish conditions for readmission to doctoral studies.

Extension
If full-time doctoral candidates have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, the academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year. In exceptional circumstances, a further one-year extension may be granted, subject to the conditions established by the corresponding doctoral programme. In the case of part-time doctoral candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

Dismissal from the doctoral programme
A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

Enrollment aid

The programme does not have specific grants available for the enrolment fee.

Organization

• Casas Rius, Joan Ramon

• Casals Casanova, Miquel
• Casas Rius, Joan Ramon
• Etxeberria Larrañaga, Miren
• Oller Ibars, Eva
• Roca Fabregat, Pedro

• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (PROMOTORA)
• Department of Project and Construction Engineering

Office 202 – Building C2 (North Campus)
Tel.: (+34) 934 016 497
E-mail: doctorat.ECO.camins@upc.edu

Agreements with other institutions

Access profile

The natural route for entering the doctoral programme is for students who have competed and passed the master's degree in Structural and Construction Engineering at the UPC (MEEC-UPC). Students who have taken other master’s degrees must show that they have basic knowledge of the main subjects in construction technology, that is: structural concrete, metal and mixed structures, construction materials, durability, maintenance and management of structures and civil works. Students should have some knowledge of programming and software packages for the analysis and calculation of the structures.

Access requirements

Applicants must hold a Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Spanish master’s degree or equivalent, provided they have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on the two degrees (Royal Decree 43/2015, of 2 February)

In addition, the following may apply:

• Holders of an official degree awarded by a university in Spain or any other country in the European Higher Education Area, pursuant to the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, which establishes official university course regulations, who have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on official university degrees, of which at least 60 must be at the master's degree level.
• Holders of an official Spanish bachelor’s degree comprising at least 300 credits, as provided for by EU regulations. Holder of degrees of this kind must complete bridging courses unless the curriculum of the bachelor’s degree in question included research training credits equivalent in value to those which would be earned on a master's degree.
• Holders of an official university qualification who, having passed the entrance examination for specialised medical training, have completed at least two years of a training course leading to an official degree in a health-sciences specialisation.
• Holders of a degree issued under a foreign education system. In these cases, homologation is not required, but the UPC must verify that the degree certifies a level of training equivalent to an official Spanish master's degree and qualifies the holder for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was issued. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
• Holders of a Spanish doctoral qualification issued under previous university regulations.

Note 1: Doctoral studies entrance regulations for holders of an undergraduate degree awarded before the introduction of the EHEA (CG 47/02 2014)

Note 2: Governing Council Decision 64/2014, which approves the procedure and criteria for assessing the fulfilment of academic admission requirements for doctoral studies by holders of non-homologated foreign degrees (CG 25/03 2014)

Admission criteria and merits assessment

Qualifications that provide direct access without the need for bridging courses include:

• master’s degree in Structural and Construction Engineering (MIEC-UPC)
• master’s degree in Civil Engineering
• master’s degree in Civil Engineering
• master’s degree in Industrial Engineering

The academic committee of the doctoral programme may recognise the equivalence of other masters of science (in the Bologna Process) or even other qualifications. To recognise equivalence, the committee will assess whether the qualification corresponds with the MIEC-UPC in terms of the number of credits and subjects that are covered, and the excellence of the academic institution in which the course was taught. Students who hold master’s degrees or other qualifications recognised as equivalent to the MIEC-UPC will be admitted automatically.

The admission of students who do not meet this criterion could be considered and analysed by the academic committee of the doctoral programme in Construction Engineering. In general, holding a master’s degree of an academic or scientific nature adapted to the guidelines of the Bologna Process will be an essential condition for access to the doctoral programme. In this case, the committee will decide whether to accept each applicant on an individual basis. The committee will assess the following aspects, according to the weighting indicated in brackets:

• The characteristics of previous studies (particularly the degree of equivalence with the master’s degree in Structural and Construction Engineering - scientific pathway) (25%).
• The grants and financial aid that have been awarded (5%).
• Academic record (20%).
• Possibility of supervision by lecturers in the department (30%).
• Previous research experience (15%).
• Language knowledge (5%).

Training complements

The academic committee for the programme may require that doctoral students pass specific bridging courses. In this case, it will monitor the bridging courses that are taken and establish appropriate criteria to limit their duration.

Bridging courses will be on research training. Doctoral students will never be required to enrol for bridging courses worth 60 ECTS or more.

The required bridging courses in methodological or scientific training could be established for each student by:

1. The academic committee, as an admission requirement or after admission as a condition for continuation to be completed within the time limit given below.
2. The tutor or the thesis supervisor, as a result of observing gaps in the student’s knowledge or performance.
3. The thesis supervisor, as a result of observing gaps in the student’s training or as an additional advanced training need in the topic(s) of the doctoral thesis.

The committee will establish the need for bridging course on admission. The tutor and the thesis supervisor could identify and establish the need for bridging courses during the first year.

The decision about which bridging courses a student must take is made by agreement between the tutor and the academic coordinators of the programme. This decision is then approved by the academic committee.

Bridging courses to take

The committee will establish the required credits and subjects in each case. In general, subjects will be selected from the UPC master's degree in Structural and Construction Engineering, when it is considered that students need to take these subjects to achieve a suitable initial level of knowledge. For each student, the committee can define two types of additional training:

1. Training requirements prior to entering the doctoral programme. Admission to the programme will depend on passing these subjects.

2. Requirements for training in methodology, research, oral and written communication techniques.

The deadline for completing this training is one-and-a-half years (18 months) when bridging courses are required by the academic committee as a condition for definitive admission. The committee could rule to discontinue the student if the required bridging courses have not been completed in the first 18 months.

Enrolment period for new doctoral students

From around mid-September to mid-October of each academic year.

February (extraordinary enrolment) mainly for students who have been waiting for visas and grants.

More information at the registration section for new doctoral students

Enrolment period

From around mid-September to mid-October of each academic year.

More information at the general registration section

Procedure for the preparation and defense of the research plan

Doctoral candidates must submit a research plan, which will be included in their doctoral student activity report, before the end of the first year. The plan may be improved over the course of the doctoral degree. It must be endorsed by the tutor and the supervisor, and it must include the method that is to be followed and the aims of the research.

At least one of these annual assessments will include a public presentation and defence of the research plan and work done before a committee composed of three doctoral degree holders, which will be conducted in the manner determined by each academic committee. The examination committee awards a Pass or Fail mark. A Pass mark is a prerequisite for continuing on the doctoral programme. Doctoral candidates awarded a Fail mark must submit a new research plan for assessment by the academic committee of the doctoral programme within six months.

The committee assesses the research plan every year, in addition to all of the other activities in the doctoral student activity report. Doctoral candidates who are awarded two consecutive Fail marks for the research plan will be obliged to definitely withdraw from the programme.

If they change the subject of their thesis, they must submit a new research plan.

Formation activities

Activity: Tutorial (compulsory).
Hours: 375.

Activity: Seminars (optional).
Hours: 2.

Activity: Research visits to foreign universities and mobility (optional).
Hours: 480.

Activity: Training in information skills (optional).
Hours: 1.5.

Activity: Research methodology (compulsory).
Hours: 12.

Activity: Innovation and creativity (optional).
Hours: 8.

Activity: Language and communication skills (compulsory).
Hours: 18.

Activity: Assessment based on doctoral student activity report (DAD) and research plan.
Hours: 4.

Procedure for assignment of tutor and thesis director

The academic committee of the doctoral programme assigns a thesis supervisor to each doctoral candidate when they are admitted or enrol for the first time, taking account of the thesis supervision commitment referred to in the admission decision.

The thesis supervisor will ensure that training activities carried out by the doctoral candidate are coherent and suitable, and that the topic of the candidate’s doctoral thesis will have an impact and make a novel contribution to knowledge in the relevant field. The thesis supervisor will also guide the doctoral candidate in planning the thesis and, if necessary, tailoring it to any other projects or activities undertaken. The thesis supervisor will generally be a UPC professor or researcher who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience. This includes PhD-holding staff at associated schools (as determined by the Governing Council) and UPC-affiliated research institutes (in accordance with corresponding collaboration and affiliation agreements). When thesis supervisors are UPC staff members, they also act as the doctoral candidate’s tutor.

PhD holders who do not meet these criteria (as a result of their contractual relationship or the nature of the institution to which they are attached) must be approved by the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee in order to participate in a doctoral programme as researchers with documented research experience.

The academic committee of the doctoral programme may approve the appointment of a PhD-holding expert who is not a UPC staff member as a candidate’s thesis supervisor. In such cases, the prior authorisation of the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee is required. A UPC staff member who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience must also be proposed to act as a co-supervisor, or as the doctoral candidate’s tutor if one has not been assigned.

A thesis supervisor may step down from this role if there are justified reasons (recognised as valid by the committee) for doing so. If this occurs, the academic committee of the doctoral programme will assign the doctoral candidate a new thesis supervisor.

Provided there are justified reasons for doing so, and after hearing any relevant input from the doctoral candidate, the academic committee of the doctoral programme may assign a new thesis supervisor at any time during the period of doctoral study.

If there are academic reasons for doing so (an interdisciplinary topic, joint or international programmes, etc.) and the academic committee of the programme gives its approval, an additional thesis supervisor may be assigned. Supervisors and co-supervisors have the same responsibilities and academic recognition.

The maximum number of supervisors of a doctoral thesis is two: a supervisor and a co-supervisor.

For theses carried out under a cotutelle agreement or as part of an Industrial Doctorate, if necessary and if the agreement foresees it this maximum number of supervisors may not apply. This notwithstanding, the maximum number of supervisors belonging to the UPC is two.

More information at the PhD theses section

Permanence

The academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year for full-time doctoral candidates who have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, in the terms outlined in the Academic Regulations for Doctoral Studies of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. In the case of part-time candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

International Mention

The doctoral degree certificate may include International Doctorate mention. In this case, the doctoral candidate must meet the following requirements:

a) During the period of study leading to the award of the doctoral degree, the doctoral candidate must have spent at least three months at a respected higher education institution or research centre outside Spain to complete courses or do research work. The stays and activities carried out must be endorsed by the thesis supervisor and authorised by the academic committee of the programme. The candidate must provide a certifying document issued by the person responsible for the research group of the body or bodies where the stay or activity was completed. This information will be added to the doctoral student’s activity report.
b) Part of the thesis (at least the summary and conclusions) must be written and presented in one of the languages commonly used for science communication in the relevant field of knowledge, which must not be an official language of Spain. This rule does not apply to stays and reports in Spanish or to experts from Spanish-speaking countries.
c) At least two PhD-holding experts belonging to a higher education institution or research centre outside Spain must have issued officially certified reports on the thesis.
d) The thesis examination committee must have included at least one PhD-holding expert from a higher education or research institution outside Spain who was not responsible for the candidate’s stay abroad (point a) above).
e) The thesis defence must have taken place on UPC premises or, in the case of joint programmes, at the location specified in the collaboration agreement.

List of authorized thesis for defense

• BELLIDO RECODER, LUCÍA: Recomendaciones para el proyecto de puentes de ferrocarril con aparatos de apoyo de núcleo de plomo (LRB) en zonas sísmicas.
  
  Author: BELLIDO RECODER, LUCÍA
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 23/07/2021
  Reading date: 25/10/2021
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: ETSECCPB_ Aula C1002 - C. Jordi Girona, 1-3 Mòdul C1 Campus Nord 08034 Barcelona
  Thesis director: BAIRÁN GARCÍA, JESÚS MIGUEL | OLLER IBARS, EVA MARIA
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: MARI BERNAT, ANTONIO RICARDO
       SECRETARI: ARNEDO PENA, ALFREDO BERNARDO
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: HUGUET AGUILERA, MIQUEL
  Thesis abstract: Railway bridges located at seismic zones are particularly complex structures that present exceptional difficulties due to the existence of the track and the phenomena associated to it called track-bridge interaction. The design of these bridges is only possible by using isolation and dissipation techniques that have been developed in the last years.It is possible to choose among several protection schemes depending on the seismic design strategy. However, despite advances in seismic engineering, it has not been yet possible to define a protection scheme that verifies optimally the structural requirements given by the norms, as well as the requests in terms of profitability and reliability of the service that the railway administration expects.In the market, it can be found a device whose features are really attractive for railway bridges. We are talking about elastomeric bearings with a lead plug called LRB (¿Lead Rubber Bearings¿). These devices are known by having both capacities of isolation and dissipation, and they are usually used in buildings, in highway bridges and even in railway bridges with rail expansion devices (where there are no problems of track-bridge interaction). A priori, these devices seem to gather all the features of an ideal antiseismic device for railway bridges: stiffness in service, seismic protection, recentering, no need for maintenance and low cost. However, the truth is that their behavior against horizontal railway actions is unknown, their recentering capacity is also unknown and it is not either known if they are capable of respecting the track-bridge interaction requirements.On the other hand, due to the lack of norms that treat together the track-bridge interaction and the seismic situation, it is not clear which verifications have to be performed during the bridge design.Therefore, in this investigation it is analyzed if the LRB bearings are able to verify the track-bridge interaction requirements, if they provide the structure with adequate seismic protection and if they satisfy the requirements of the railway administrations related to the reliability of the service.
  
• JOSA CULLERÉ, IRENE: Social sciences and humanities in civil engineering: a mixed methods analysis in the context of education.
  
  Author: JOSA CULLERÉ, IRENE
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Temporary seizure
  Deposit date: 30/09/2021
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: AGUADO DE CEA, ANTONIO | RODE, PHILIPP
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: DOMINGUES DE FIGUEIREDO, ANTONIO
       SECRETARI: GARFI, MARIANNA
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: BLANCO ÁLVAREZ, ANA
  Thesis abstract: The challenges that the world is currently facing call for solutions that are interdisciplinary in nature. This implies that engineering professionals need to work together with professionals from different disciplines to design projects to address such issues. In this regard, Higher Education plays a major role in training engineering students that are able to understand the socio-technical context in which engineering practice is embedded and design appropriate solutions accordingly. Nonetheless, traditionally, engineering education curricula have mainly focused on the "technical" side of engineering and have left the "social" aside. Hence, understanding the processes of integrating social issues in engineering programs is essential. The main objective of the present dissertation is to understand better the potential contributions from relevant areas of the social sciences and humanities in civil engineering and propose recommendations accordingly. For this, the thesis follows a mixed-methods approach that involved the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. On the one hand, the qualitative data involved the analysis of faculty members' perspectives on the processes of integrating knowledge from the social sciences and humanities into civil engineering programs. This approach uses semi-structured interviewing with professors in civil engineering schools. On the other hand, quantitative data was collected through a survey administered to stakeholders studying or working in the context of civil engineering. Interview and survey data was complemented with literature reviews and the analysis of archival records.First of all, a conceptual framework for the intersection between civil engineering and social sciences and humanities was developed. For this, the fields of civil engineering and social sciences were classified into several different subfields, namely six for infrastructures (transport, water, energy, environment, urban planning and buildings) and twelve for social sciences (culture and history, behaviour and mind, communication and interaction, socioeconomics, juridical sciences, life and health, politics, social problems, social groups, ethics and philosophy, arts and education and innovation). Afterwards, the existing literature at the intersection between the various categories was reviewed. The final framework provides a description of different key areas and can be applied to a wide variety of actions ranging from the development of university curricula to the social impact assessment of projects.Second, the empirical part of this thesis analysed the current status of integration of social aspects in civil engineering programmes at different levels, national and international. In both cases, four main elements were examined: ability, preparedness, willingness and propitiousness to change. These aspects were analysed through the various sources of data collected and focusing on aspects such as thinking processes, challenges, and opportunities.Third, following the results of the previous parts, all the previous findings in specific technical fields are built upon to elaborate on two specific case studies through which social elements can be introduced in class. The first case study proposes a multi-criteria decision-making model to assess the sustainability of structural components. The proposed method was employed to evaluate the sustainability of the most representative alternatives (materials and structural typologies) for girders and trusses for the construction of sports hall roofs in Spain. The second case study assesses the sustainability of structural concrete elements in the context of water and sanitation. In particular, it proposes and applies a model for the case of concrete pipes, and it determines how different typologies of pipes contribute to the overall sustainability of infrastructure systems.
  

Last update: 16/10/2021 04:47:07.

List of lodged theses

Last update: 16/10/2021 04:30:36.

List of defended theses by year

• ANITORI, GIORGIO: Risk-based highway bridge inspection intervals
  
  Author: ANITORI, GIORGIO
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/672102
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 23/04/2021
  Thesis director: CASAS RIUS, JUAN RAMON
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: RAMOS SCHNEIDER, GONZALO
       SECRETARI: SILVA CARVALHO CAMPOS MATOS, JOSE ANTONIO
       VOCAL: TANNER, PETER
  Thesis abstract: Infrastructure maintenance programs establish schedules for routine inspections of highway bridges with little consideration of their current conditions. The time interval between two inspections is traditionally set based on experience and on engineering judgment. For example, in the US considerable expenditures are incurred to meet the required biennial routine inspection of all bridges many of which may be in good condition. It is therefore of great interest for the engineering community to develop an approach to control inspection schedules of individual bridges and minimize their associated costs using rational criteria that account for the lower risk of postponing the inspection of bridges that are subject to reduced deterioration mechanisms and low traffic loadings. The implementation of such a risk-based approach would go a long way in helping optimize the limited resources available for maintaining the vast highway infrastructure system. The object of this Ph.D. dissertation is to develop a rational approach for determining a risk-based optimum time interval between bridge inspections. The proposed theoretical approach subsequently serves for proposing a simple procedure that is implementable in routine practice by bridge engineers using easily available bridge-specific data.To illustrate the proposed procedure using actual bridge data, the work uses highway data from the state of New York (NYS) in the United States of America (USA) in the form of Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) truck traffic data and bridge records provided through the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database. These data are used to develop a theoretical framework able to define the capacity of bridges probabilistically and the risk of bridge failure if a bridge¿s inspection is deferred for a limited period of time.The calculations performed in this dissertation based on data collected in the state of New York are limited to simple span composite steel-concrete superstructures that constitute a large proportion of short to medium span bridges in North America. However, the same concepts can be extended to other types of superstructures and other regions of the world as appropriate data become available.The conclusions of this study include the demonstration of the inadequacy of utilizing a standard two-year inspection interval for all bridges. To overcome this problem a simplified procedure is proposed for an easy practical engineers¿ application.
  

• BADO, MATTIA FRANCESCO: Performance of distributed optical fiber sensors embedded inside Reinforced Concrete Structural elements.
  
  Author: BADO, MATTIA FRANCESCO
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/672352
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Reading date: 26/07/2021
  Thesis director: CASAS RIUS, JUAN RAMON
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: TURMO CODERQUE, JOSE
       SECRETARI: BENZARTI, KARIM
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: HOULT, NEIL ANTHONY
  Thesis abstract: The employment of a novel cutting edge strain monitoring technique named Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors (DOFS) as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) tools is becoming increasingly common. Its popularity can be attributed to multiple reasons, the most important of which are the possibility of performing completely spatially distributed monitoring with sampling points at distances smaller than 1 mm, the high degrees of deployment configuration complexity thank to DOFS¿ size and minimal stiffness, ease of deployment and resistance to Electro-Magnetic Interference, corrosion and extreme temperatures. Due to the inherent nature of SHM, though, up to now, the most common DOFS applications are the monitoring of already built structures and substantiation of their suitability to continue performing as per design. Consequently, most DOFS deployments see their bonding to the external surfaces of RC structures. A novel way of deploying DOFS that has taken hold in the later years consists in adopting DOFS to monitor the evolution of the strains present on the inside of a Reinforced Concrete (RC) structure i.e., bonding DOFS to the surface of embedded reinforcement bars (rebars) or embedding them directly in the concrete mass. Due to its recency, this application is characterized by an almost untapped potential pool. Indeed, SHM-wise, this continuous and highly sensible embedded monitoring system provides access to the ability of starting to detect deformations and damages as early as their appearance inside the structure (versus having to wait for their appearance on their external surface). This superior deformation and damage detection potential can very well help replacing the current time-based inspection model with one based on a performance or risk-based approach. As a consequence, today¿s maintenance paradigm could shift from corrective to preventive, resulting in tremendous savings in infrastructure maintenance and a reduction of its associated social impact.Yet, when deploying DOFS inside RC structures several phenomena may jeopardize the extractable results. Among these the non-neglectable possibility of fiber alteration/damage during the pouring of concrete and the possibility of erroneous measurements induced by the friction and/or clamping of the DOFS from the part of concrete aggregates. Whilst the deployment of DOFS with several claddings and coatings could compensate for these issues, the presence of a certain lag in the transmission of strains from the monitored surface to the DOFS¿s silica core reduces the accuracy of the measurements and corrections are necessary to account for the strain lag between the fiber core and the substrate. For such applications, the preferable DOFS would be a thin, simply cladded, non-coated DOFS. In this case, though, the DOFS protective function against external SRA-inducing phenomena falls entirely on the adhesive layers with which the fibers are bonded.The present thesis is aimed at improving the viability of coating-less DOFS deployments inside RC structures for Civil and Structural Engineering SHM. This objective is tackled with both a preventive approach and a curing one. The former is achieved by means of experimental investigation aimed at extracting methodologies and techniques that stem factors jeopardizing any DOFS-extracted strain measurement. The latter is achieved creating post-processing algorithms aimed at the cleansing of DOFS-extracted data of any data distortion and anomaly.
  

• FERRERO, CHIARA: Structural behaviour of masonry arches on moving supports: from on-site observation to experimental and numerical analysis.
  
  Author: FERRERO, CHIARA
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/672366
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Change of supervisor
  Reading date: 20/07/2021
  Thesis director: ROCA FABREGAT, PEDRO | CALDERINI, CHIARA
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: BAGI, KATALIN
       SECRETARI: BEYER, KATRIN
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: DEJONG, MATTHEW
  Thesis abstract: Since ancient times, master builders have used arches to cover large spans in masonry structures. As a consequence, nowadays the safety assessment of these structural elements plays a fundamental role in the conservation of built cultural heritage. Due to their frequent occurrence, support displacements are one of the primary sources of damage for masonry arches. Among the potential causes of support displacements, slow-moving landslides have received very little attention from the scientific community. The present thesis is motivated by the observation of extensive and severe damage in the arches of historic masonry churches exposed to slow-moving landslides. These phenomena produce a combination of vertical and horizontal supports displacements, whose effect on the arch structural behaviour has never been thoroughly investigated in the literature, especially in the framework of large displacements. In view of the above, this thesis aims at providing a full understanding of the mechanics of masonry arches subjected to large support displacements, with special attention to inclined displacements. The methodology used to accomplish this goal included both experimental tests and numerical analyses on a segmental scaled dry-joint masonry arch subjected to different combinations of horizontal and vertical support displacements.The numerical simulations were carried out in the framework of large displacements using two different numerical approaches based on finite element (FE) and rigid block (RB) modelling. A micro-modelling strategy was adopted, where the arch was modelled as an assemblage of voussoirs, very stiff and infinitely resistant in compression in the FE model and rigid in the RB model, interacting at no-tension friction interfaces. Preliminary numerical simulations, aimed at designing the experimental set-up and gaining a first insight in the arch response, were carried out considering the arch as a rigid-no tension structure. To this aim, a very large value of interface normal stiffness was adopted in the FE model. A large experimental campaign was performed on a 1:10 small-scale model built as a dry-joint assemblage of voussoirs made of a bicomponent composite material. The results of the tests allowed, for the first time in the literature, to accurately assess the effect of the direction of the imposed support displacements on the arch response in the framework of large displacements. The comparison between numerical and experimental results showed that the numerical models were not able to accurately predict the experimental response. To investigate this discrepancy, a sensitivity analysis on the effect of the interface normal stiffness on the FE predictions was performed. The results demonstrated that the difference between numerical and experimental results could be attributed due to the imperfections, and resulting deformability, of the joints of the physical model. A strategy to include imperfections in the numerical modelling, consisting in calibrating the interface normal stiffness based on the experimental results, was thus proposed and validated by performing further FE simulations, whose results were in very good agreement with the experimental evidence.Finally, to investigate the effect of geometrical imperfections on the arch response, a further experimental test was performed on a physical model made of bicomponent composite voussoirs exhibiting more imperfections. The test was simulated using a FE calibrated model to further validate the strategy proposed to model imperfections. The comparison between the experimental results for the two tested physical models showed that imperfections play a fundamental role in the response of small-scale arches to large support displacements. Furthermore, reducing the interface normal stiffness with respect to the large value adopted to model rigid interfaces proved to be an effective strategy to simulate the amount of imperfections of the experimental models.
  

• JIMÉNEZ RAMÍREZ, MARÍA BELÉN: Seismic vulnerability assessment of traditional timber frame and masonry wall buildings. Application to the historical centre of Valparaíso, Chile.
  
  Author: JIMÉNEZ RAMÍREZ, MARÍA BELÉN
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/671491
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 13/01/2021
  Thesis director: PELA, LUCA
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: APRILE, ALESSANDRA
       SECRETARI: ROCA FABREGAT, PEDRO
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: SANDOVAL MANDUJANO, CRISTIAN
  Thesis abstract: The seismic vulnerability of urban assets exposed to earthquake hazard represents a growing concern in the engineering field due to the potential risk of collapse for the buildings, and the associated devastating consequences for the inhabitants. This concern has led to the development of novel strategies for the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of the existing buildings. An accurate evaluation of the seismic vulnerability constitutes the point of departure for the implementation of the necessary mitigation strategies aimed at increasing the seismic resilience of the cities. Seismic vulnerability assessment (SVA) at large-scale requires robust knowledge of the existing structural typologies, often biased by the intrinsic uncertainties related to local construction materials and techniques, especially in territories composed of historical and vernacular constructions. A propaedeutic stage of SVA is the definition of building taxonomies to characterize the structural features of the buildings and their main sources of vulnerabilities. This difficult task requires the availability of consistent technical data, which are commonly scarce in cities with historical constructions. This doctoral thesis contributes to the development of suitable methodologies for the systematic surveying of urban buildings in historical urban centres, by proposing four complete survey forms for timber, masonry, reinforced concrete and steel/iron structural typologies. This tool aims to improve and optimize the complex process of collecting and gathering data about the structural characteristics of the existing building stock.This thesis also contributed to the calibration of simplified numerical models for the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of traditional buildings composed of timber frame and masonry wall structures. The nonlinear behaviour is simulated through the adoption of Lumped Plasticity Models (LPM) for timber frames, and continuum Finite Element (FE) models for masonry walls. The calibration of these models is pursued based on rigorous comparisons with numerous experimental tests available in the scientific literature. The developed simplified numerical models for timber frame and masonry wall structures are used to assess the seismic vulnerability of two existing buildings located in the historical centre of the city of Valparaíso, Chile. The numerical models are employed afterwards to analyse the different structural configurations of timber-masonry buildings of the study area. The examined structural configurations differ in the organization of the resisting systems, number of storeys, and presence of structural irregularities. The different pushover analyses show the influence of the aforementioned parameters on the seismic behaviour of the buildings. This research proposes a tentative set of scores and weights for the application of the Vulnerability Index Method (VIM) to traditional buildings composed of timber frame and masonry wall structures based on a numerical investigation. The resulting VIM form is calibrated by applying the N2 method to determine the seismic performance of the representative typologies within the study area. This study is based on the results of a numerical study, unlike other available VIM forms available in the existing literature are based on past post-earthquake surveys of damaged buildings. The thesis ends in a prospective study on the seismic vulnerability by VIM of 111 buildings located in three neighbourhoods of the historical centre of Valparaíso. This is an area of special interest, as it includes two of the main evacuation routes for the city in case of a tsunami, and congregate different typologies of heritage buildings, made of timber, masonry, and reinforced concrete. The obtained results are used to create seismic vulnerability maps in a GIS environment that may be used for future works aimed at the definition of proper policies for the implementation of mitigation strategie
  

• PENG, TIAN: Structural System Identification by Dynamic Observability Technique.
  
  Author: PENG, TIAN
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/672173
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 21/05/2021
  Thesis director: TURMO CODERQUE, JOSE | CASAS RIUS, JUAN RAMON
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: RAMOS SCHNEIDER, GONZALO
       SECRETARI: MARTINEZ RODRIGO, MARIA DOLORES
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: YUAN, SUN
  Thesis abstract: Structure system identification (SSI) can be classified as static and dynamic depending on the type of excitation. SSI by Observability Method (OM) using static tests was proposed and analyzed to address the observability of the estimated parameters. This mathematical approach has been used in other fields such as hydraulics, electrical, and power networks or transportation. Usually, the structural behavior of engineering structures can be identified according to dynamic characteristics such as mode shapes, natural frequencies, and damping ratios. However, the analysis of SSI by dynamic Observability Method using dynamic information is lacking. This Ph.D. thesis developed the dynamic Observability Method using masses, modal frequencies, modal deflections based on the static OM to obtain the geometrical and mechanical parameters of the structure. This thesis mainly contains three aspects of work.Firstly, in chapter 3, the development, for the first time, of constrained observability techniques (COM) for parametric estimation of structures using dynamic information such as frequencies and mode-shapes was proposed. New algorithms are introduced based on the dynamic eigenvalue equation. Two step by step examples are used to illustrate the functioning of these. Parametric expressions for the observed variables are successfully obtained,which will allow the study of the sensitivity of each of the variables in the problem and the error distribution, which is an advantage with respect to non-parametric SSI techniques. A large structure is used to validate this new application, whose structural properties can be obtained satisfactorily in either the whole or local analysis, and the results show that the required measurement set is smaller than the required for a static analysis. Chapters 4 and 5 are the applications of COM to fill the shortcomings of current research, such as the optimal SHM+SSI strategy and uncertainty quantification.Secondly, in chapter 4, the role of the SHM strategy and the SSI analysis based on the Constrained Observability Method (COM), which aims at reducing the estimation error, is discussed. A machine learning decision tool to help building the best-combined strategy of SHM and SSI that can result in the most accurate estimations of the structural properties is proposed, and the combination of COM and decision tree algorithm is used for the first time. The machine learning algorithm is based on the theory of Decision Trees. Decision trees are firstly presented to investigate the influence of the variables (layout of bridge, span length, measurement set, and weight factor in the objective function of the COM) involved in the SHM+SSI process on the error estimation in a general structure. The verification of the method with a real bridge with different levels of damage shows that the method is robust even for a high damage level, showing the SHM+SSI strategy that yields the most accurate estimation.Finally, an analysis of uncertainty quantification (UQ) is necessary to assess the effect of uncertainties on the estimated parameters and to provide a way to evaluate these uncertainties. This work is carried out in chapter 5. There are a large number of UQ approaches in science and engineering. It is identified that the proposed dynamic Constrained Observability Method (COM) can make up for some of the shortcomings of existing methods. After that, the COM is used to analyze a real bridge. A result is compared with a method based on a Bayesian approach demonstrating its applicability and correct performance through the analysis of a reinforced concrete beam.
  

Last update: 16/10/2021 05:11:51.

Research groups

• ATEM-Structural and Materials Technology
• EC-Construction Engineering
• GRIC-Group of Construction Research and Innovation
• MATCAR-Construction Materials and Roads

Teachers

• Aponte Hernandez, Diego Fernando
• Arrayago Luquin, Itsaso
• Bairan Garcia, Jesus Miguel
• Barra Bizinotto, Marilda
• Casals Casanova, Miquel
• Casanova Hormaechea, Ignasi
• Casas Rius, Joan Ramon
• Cervera Ruiz, Miguel
• Chacon Flores, Rolando Antonio
• de la Fuente Antequera, Albert
• Etxeberria Larrañaga, Miren
• Fernandez Carrasco, Lucia
• Forcada Matheu, Nuria
• Gangolells Solanellas, Marta
• Lopez Almansa, Francisco
• Mari Bernat, Antonio
• Mirambell Arrizabalaga, Enrique
• Molins Borrell, Climent
• Oller Ibars, Eva
• Pelà, Luca
• Pons Valladares, Oriol
• Ramos Schneider, Gonzalo
• Real Saladrigas, Esther
• Roca Fabregat, Pedro
• Roca Ramon, Xavier
• Segura Perez, Ignacio
• Turmo Coderque, Jose
• Valls del Barrio, Susanna
• Villalba Herrero, Sergi