PhD Studentship: Developing Deterioration Models for Rout Availability of Ageing Railway Bridges Under Heavy Axle Weight Trains

Supervisory Team: Dr Mehdi Kashani and Prof William Powrie 

Project description

Bridges are among the most critical components of any transport infrastructure network. They can significantly compromise the network’s functionality if they malfunction, or are restricted. In 2014, road travel reached 311 billion vehicle miles in the UK, and rail trips amounted to 100 billion passenger miles in England and Wales. There are more than 300,000 railway bridges for 212,000km of railways across Europe. The UK rail network alone includes more than 35,000 bridges, and approximately 45% of these bridges are made of metal (cast iron, wrought iron, and steel), with 50% over 100 years old. Uncertainty concerning their condition and the effects of ageing means that these bridges are often subjected to weight or speed restrictions, at a time when there is pressure to increase the capacity of the network. There is therefore an urgent need to develop a far better understanding of the condition and true capacity of such bridges, together with cost, time and carbon efficient remediation methods, so that network capacity can be maximised safely and efficiently. 

This PhD research project aims to investigate the impact of heavy axle weight (HAW) traffic on historic railway bridges, provide a scientific basis for the determination of permitted axle loads, and develop a HAW deterioration and residual capacity model. The project includes numerical modelling and experimental testing on samples from deteriorated bridges for material characterisation. This project is part of a larger research project funded by Network Rail and Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). 

We are looking for outstanding quality and exceptionally motivated candidates. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a 1st class Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area from a prime UK university. Candidates with MSc in Advanced Structural/Bridge Engineering are given priority. The project includes numerical simulation and some experimental testing. Some programming skill in MATLAB is required. Some knowledge of nonlinear finite element analysis are desirable but not essential. 

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent). 

Closing date : applications should be received no later than 31 August 2023 for standard admissions, but later applications may be considered depending on the funds remaining in place. 

Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £17,668 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years. 

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk) . Select programme type (Research), 2022/23, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD Engineering & Environment (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Dr Mehdi Kashani 

Applications should include:

Research Proposal

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date 

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk