Fire-induced spalling of concrete experienced by constructed facilities such as tunnels, buildings and bridges has been shown to cause catastrophic failure, and to lead to huge economic costs and potential loss of life. However, despite the consequences, fire-induced spalling remains one of the least well understood aspects of concrete behaviour. This project aims to develop an improved understanding of fire-induced spalling of modern high-performance concrete, and to find a sustainable spalling-mitigation solution by using fibres recovered from end-of-life tyres. To achieve this, X-Ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) will be used to detect the microstructural changes in concrete due to thermo-mechanical loading and to examine the underlying mechanics of spalling and the spalling-mitigation mechanism of polymer fibre in general and that of the Reused Tyre Polymer Fibre (RTPF) in particular (the latter offering major economic and sustainability benefits). Also, a state-of-the-art fire testing system will provide more controllable heating and hence more reliable and repeatable test results than provided by conventional furnace testing. The high-quality test results collected will form a database for use in this and future research projects. Numerical modelling will be performed, allowing key aspects of the experimentally observed behaviour to be simulated, and preparing the ground for the eventual development of a predictive spalling model. Preliminary design guidance for fire-spalling-resistant concrete with RTPF will also be developed, in order to expedite the uptake of this technology by practitioners.

Key to the survival of a building subjected to extreme loads, such as fire, blast and impact is the provision of a robust structural frame, which can accommodate the resulting high strength and ductility demands. To this end, the performance of the beam-to-column joints is paramount, since these will be subjected to high rotation capacity demands and high tying forces, as they are required to facilitate catenary action and provide an alternative load path in the case of a sudden failure of a supporting column. The fundamental hypothesis underpinning this research project is that replacing the carbon steel components in critical parts of the joints (e.g. bolts, angle cleats, plates) with an appropriate grade of stainless steel, which has greater ductility, as well as better fire behaviour, will enhance the joint strength and ductility thus maximizing the resistance to a progressive collapse during an extreme event such as an impact, blast or fire. The project consists of 4 technical work packages with a fifth one dedicated to impact and dissemination, as outlined hereafter: WP 1 focuses on the behaviour of joints under impact loading. Stainless steel plate, bolt and weld material coupons will be tested under high strain rates to determine the material response under conditions brought about by impact loading. The obtained results will be utilised to calibrate material models explicitly accounting for strain rate sensitivity as well as fracture models considering the effect of strain rate and stress triaxiality. Furthermore, lap joints and T-stubs will be tested at high strain rates and FE models will be developed and utilised in parametric studies WP2 studies the behaviour of material and connections at and after exposure to high temperatures ranging from 20 to 1000 degrees centigrade. Isothermal and anisothermal material coupon tests will be conducted on plate, weld and bolt material, whilst for the post fire condition, both air cooling and quenching will be considered. Upon determining the effect of temperature on material response, advanced FE models will be developed to establish the performance of double web cleat, top and seat angle cleat and extended endplate joints under and post fire conditions. WP3 investigates the behaviour of individual joints under moment and shear and double sided joints under moment, shear and tension under static and dynamic loading conditions. Both physical tests and numerical models (utilising the findings of WP1) will be generated to characterise the joint response under realistic column loss scenarios. Supplementary numerical studies on geometrically identical conventional steel joints will also be conducted to compare the performance of the novel hybrid carbon/stainless steel and conventional steel joints. WP4 will utilise all previous WPs to develop and calibrate spring joint models suitable for incorporation into FE simulations of frames using beam elements. Using OpenSees, low-, medium- and high-rise 3D steel frames employing the novel hybrid joints as well as conventional ones will be analysed under a variety of extreme hazard scenaria including impact and fire using a probabilistic approach for the variability in material, geometry and loading. The obtained results will be utilised to determine the probability of failure and derive analytical fragility curves and quantify the effect of the adoption of the novel connections on the survivability of steel framed structures. Finally, WP5 will utilise all previous WPs to develop and disseminate design guidance to maximise the impact of the research. The close collaboration with leading consultants and strong links with BSI, as well as the applicants' close familiarity and involvement with Eurocode 3 will guarantee prompt dissemination of the research findings to the relevant practices, institutions and code development bodies.

At 3.36 am on 24th August 2016 a Mw 6.2 earthquake struck the central region of Italy, with epicentre in the Apennines range, near the village of Accumuli and with a fault rupture of 25 km. Earthquake shaking was felt as far as Rome (120 km SW), Florence (220 km NW) and Urbino (200 km N). The worst affected region has a radius of 20 km around the epicentre, including a number of towns and small villages across the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo. The building stock of these urban centres mainly consists of historic rubble masonry structures, with a small measure of reinforced concrete construction. The performance of the former was very poor and collapse was widespread. The historic building stock of Amatrice suffered widespread destruction. Although the area is sparsely populated, the time of occurrence of the main shock and the fact that much of the tourist accommodation was nearly at full capacity led the death toll to be 295, injured 388 and left more than 2000 people homeless. This was the second most deadly earthquake in Italy since 1980. Since 1982, the Earthquake Engineering Investigation Team (EEFIT) has organised dozens of reconnaissance missions worldwide. Involving UK academics and industrial partners, in the past these missions have been funded by EPSRC through the urgent funding request mechanism. EEFIT is a group of earthquake engineers, architects and academics who collaborate with colleagues in earthquake prone countries to improve the seismic resistance of both traditional and engineered structures. EEFIT's principle activity is conducting field investigations following major earthquakes and reporting their findings to the engineering community. The main objectives of EEFIT missions are: - To carry out a detailed technical evaluation of the performance of structures, foundations, civil engineering works and industrial plant within the affected region - To collect geological and seismographic data, including strong motion records - To assess the effectiveness of earthquake protection methods, including repair and retrofit, and to make comparisons of the actual performance of structures with the expectations of designers - To study disaster management procedures and socio-economic effects of the earthquake, including human casualties. These objectives correspond and are further articulated in the objectives of this mission to the Amatrice earthquake region.Ten academics and 5 industrial partners will take part in the mission which will deploy for up to two weeks, conducting rapid and detailed damage surveys of buildings affected by the earthquake. The team will liaise with the local authority and the Italian geophisical institution to collect data on the seismological aspects of the shaking. Finally it will report to the UK and Italian communities its findings from the field trip.

Safety is a paramount consideration for offshore operators. Offshore industries, including oil and gas exploration/production, marine renewable energy and shipping, must abide by industry regulations that take into account the effects of a hostile working environment on structures and ships. The principal aim of this project is to identify a rational and practical data interrogation procedure so that realistic waves and currents can be included, along with winds and sea ice conditions, in structural analysis. This project brings together physical oceanography and the mathematics of fluid structure interaction, to address the likely extreme loads on a selection of structures and ships, in a wide range of offshore environments. This integrated approach requires a synergistic and collaborative effort proposed here, in partnership with industrial partners concerned with marine advice and safety. The substantial and varied datasets to be used for this analysis are obtained from state-of-the-art ocean and wave models, running in both hindcast and forecast mode. We will use data from models with "high to very high" spatial resolution, sampled at high time frequency (ranging hourly to daily), in order to capture extreme forces on structures and ships. Our innovative analysis will refine assessments of structural integrity, a matter of specific interest to ship and offshore structure classification societies. In developing the throughput and use of ocean and wave forecast data, these assessments may also be of use in real-time offshore operations, and we will develop this capability. In summary, we will integrate high-quality hindcasts and forecasts of ocean currents, tides and waves, in a variety of environments, including the effects of sea ice in high latitudes. In this way, we will provide the best possible advice on forces and environmental conditions experienced by offshore structures and ships, for both classification and operational purposes.

The construction industry consumes around 400 million tonnes of materials every year, a quarter of all raw materials used in the economy. It also produces annually three times the amount of waste generated by all UK households combined. The industry produces 90 million tonnes of inert waste every year, and approximately 10% of UK carbon dioxide emissions are associated with the manufacture and transport of construction materials and the construction processes. It is therefore important that the construction industry changes the way it designs and builds to reduce its environmental impact and to enable the UK to meet its carbon dioxide reduction commitments. The main theme of this proposal is to achieve the goal of this initiative from the geotechnical aspects of building construction using the outcome of an EPSRC project Smart Foundations with Distributed Fibre Optics Technology (EP/D040000/1) . The project delivered the following research outcomes: (i) a foundation design tool that optimises the layout and geometries of foundations (both piles and raft), thereby minimising the use of construction materials while achieving similar building performance, (ii) a foundation design tool that considers reuse of existing foundations for new buildings, and (iii) an inexpensive optical fibre strain measurement system to ensure the foundation based on the optimised design is performing as predicted in both short- and long-terms. This follow-on project aims to commercialise the research outcomes by converting the complex algorithms developed on research-based platforms to more user-friendly formats so they can be used directly by the industry. It consists of the following two major efforts: (a) development of middleware that converts raw Optical Fibre Strain (OFS) data to engineering performance data and (ii) coding of the foundation design tool into C++. The expected outcome is an engineering software package that aids the design and optimisation analyses of new and reuse foundations, determines the need and optimum locations of foundation instrumentation, and converts raw OFS data into engineering data for short- and long-term monitoring endeavours.