BRIDGITISE, funded by the European Commission within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), aims to leverage digital technologies for the development and validation of innovative technologies in the field of Bridge Integrity Management (BrIM).
The project focuses on addressing the challenges posed by the aging infrastructure of European bridges, particularly those constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, which are close, or beyond, the end of their design life. These bridges often face operational conditions that deviate significantly from their original design assumptions and are exacerbated by accelerated deterioration caused by the impacts of climate change.
The bridge integrity management sector lags in digitalization compared to other industries. To fill this gap, academia and industry must collaborate closely, with a focus on needs-driven research and knowledge transfer.
BRIDGITISE will take up these challenges, proposing a new paradigm for the first Industrial Doctoral Network within the EU that will pave the way to the training of new generations of researchers and professionals with expertise in digital BrIM. The EU Industrial doctorate will be developed through a collaborative effort involving a multidisciplinary, intersectoral, and international consortium. The consortium comprises 24 academic and industrial partners, covering the entire value chain of the bridge industry and related digital processes.
Key to the project is the use of digital tools for the lifecycle management of bridges. These tools encompass a range of technologies, such as distributed sensors, drones, crowdsensing, satellite radar, building information modeling (BIM), digital twins, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The incorporation of these advanced technologies is intended to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability in bridge design, construction, and maintenance processes.
The kickoff meeting of the BRIDGITISE project was held on January 24th and 25th, with Professor Maria Pina Limongelli (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering) serving as the Project Coordinator.
