TKT4858

Caring for our ageing transport infrastructure

Bridges, roads and railways form the backbone of modern society — yet much of this infrastructure is approaching or exceeding its intended design life. Ageing assets are increasingly affected by damage and deterioration, and repairing, refurbishing or replacing them is complex, costly and urgent. Keeping infrastructure safe and functional matters for economic growth, social connectivity and everyday quality of life, but it also raises technical, economic, environmental and political challenges. In this village, student teams will explore how to manage, monitor, maintain or improve existing infrastructure - combining engineering insight with perspectives from economics, communication, sustainability and society to find solutions that work in the real world.

About the village

In this village, teams work to explore and address key aspects of the societal challenges related to existing transport infrastructure. Each group defines its own project within the theme. Among many other ideas, some possible topics could be:

• Awareness and communication strategies on the importance of infrastructure maintenance
• Economic analysis and cost quantification of infrastructure maintenance
• Redefinition of design methods to extend the service life of existing infrastructure
• Development of repair and strengthening solutions for specific damage types (e.g. corrosion, fatigue, scour)
• Prioritisation and optimisation strategies for infrastructure management and investment
• Implementation of structural health monitoring and inspection systems
• Application of digital twin technologies for condition assessment and maintenance planning
• Use of traffic and sensor data to detect damages in the infrastructure
• Innovative materials and technologies for extending service life

External partners

No external partners have officially joined this village yet. National and local authorities and other stakeholders, for whom the village topics are of great importance, will be contacted. They will contribute by presenting the problem from their own perspective, offering each group a source of inspiration for identifying the work to do.

More about Experts in Teamwork

In the document Formal Framework, you can read more about the course, including the general course description for EiT, which covers learning outcomes, learning methods and activities, as well as more information about assessment and compulsory activities.

How do I register for EiT?