Hamish Moodley

Carbon accounting for bridges

Supervisors

Dr Sheida Afshan, Infrastructure group 

Dr Simon Blainey, Transportation Group

Professor John Preston, Transportation Group

I’ve recently graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering degree. During my undergraduate studies I was fortunate enough to research the use of precipitated calcium carbonate made from carbon capture processes within cement. The project itself and my late undergraduate supervisor sparked an interest in me to research sustainable structures. 

I was drawn to my current research project due to it giving me an exciting chance to research the use of stainless steel construction in a time where its use in structures is accelerating and I would be researching something that could make a difference in reducing climate change. It bridges the gap between my interests in rail, structures, and sustainability. 

Project Funders: Network Rail & University studentship

Project details:

The project investigates if using stainless steel reinforcement in concrete bridges would reduce the required maintenance for bridges and therefor justify a higher initial investment. 

Using both experimental and numerical modelling methods the structural behaviour of stainless steel bridges will be investigated at component and system levels, to develop probabilistic service life models required to develop a maintenance intervention strategy. The probabilistic service life models developed from this modelling will then form the basis for life-cycle cost analysis. The life-cycle cost analysis which will consider societal, environmental and economic sustainability metrics. The life-cycle cost analysis will then be evaluated using a present value life-cycle approach in line with the Treasury’s Green book and the Department for Transport’s WebTAG tool. A probabilistic approach, based on Monte Carlo simulation and Bayesian hierarchies, will be used and results will be verified with historic bridge data.