AUtomated REpair of steeL bridges viA additive manufacturing

Alessandro Menghini (Principal Investigator)

With nearly 300,000 European railway bridges approaching their design-life limits, full replacement is neither affordable nor sustainable. AURELiA tackles this challenge by developing and validating Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) as an in-situ repair technology for steel bridges, capable of restoring structural performance and extending service life by up to 50 years. The 36-month project combines experimental testing on laboratory-generated defects, finite-element calibration, and virtual commissioning to scale repair strategies across diverse damage scenarios. Promising repair concepts will be manufactured and assessed through a combination of mechanical testing and numerical simulations to validate their effectiveness under realistic service conditions. The expected outcomes will contribute to safer, longer-lasting and more sustainable infrastructure, supporting the European Green Deal's vision for resilient and circular construction practices.

Contribution to SDG: 9, 11, 13