Significant part of the (civil engineering) infrastructure in the Netherlands is nearing its intended design lifetime. In some cases the need to renovate or reconstruct is obvious as deformations, cracks or significant corrosion are observed. Altered functional requirements may also dictate the need to renovate or reconstruct. However, there is also a significant portion of infrastructure that shows no significant deterioration which could fulfil its functional requirements for another (couple of) decade(s) if it can be demonstrated that structural integrity is still sufficient. Extension of the structural lifetime saves societal expenses and emission related to (re-)construction.
Demonstrating the structural integrity of existing structures in model environments proves to be challenging in practice. The goal and topic of this MSc thesis is bridging the gap between model outcome (not safe enough) and observed behaviour (seems to be fine). Methods available to bridge this gap are commonly referred to as reliability updating. For this MSc thesis the specific application will be retaining structures.
Specific technical skills that you will need (to develop) are:
- Geotechnical design
- Structural design (although limited)
- Probabilistic methods
- Programming
During you assignment, you will be part of a team of geotechnical engineers and be mentored by a daily supervisor and a specialist. You will also get the opportunity to:
- Visit different offices of Witteveen+Bos
- Meet Hydraulic Structures & Geotechnical Engineering colleagues plus colleagues of many other disciplines
- Hear about our other projects
- Attend our social events
- Receive an internship allowance
- Check for yourself how it is like to work with us
Supervision
Are you interested in this assignment? Contact the Master thesis coordinator:
