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ERPE research has made major impacts on the design and operation of concrete infrastructure through design, corrosion investigation/residual life prediction and non-destructive testing (NDT). New interpretations of ground penetrating radar (GPR) data have impacted international practice through: the American Concrete Institute (ACI) document on NDT of Concrete, ACI 228.2r2013; fib Model Code 2010, ISBN:978-3-433-03061-5; a corrosion monitoring device; and "GprMax", the world's most widely used and acclaimed GPR freeware.
The financial impact of the underpinning ERPE research is estimated at £100M p.a. on infrastructure maintenance savings worldwide.
Over a period of 20 years, Professor Mangat and colleagues in the Materials and Engineering Research Institute's (MERI's) Centre for Infrastructure Management have developed significant expertise of concrete materials and structures related to deterioration, repair and maintenance of infrastructure. This body of research has led to professional practice and economic impacts related to repair selection, asset management systems, curing systems and novel repair/building materials. Mangat's expertise in concrete deterioration, its remediation and repair has been developed into commercial software systems for bridge and asset management and the national, professionally accredited training course for bridge inspectors/engineers. In the REF impact period, bridge management software has been adopted by over 30 UK local authorities and training delivered to 392 bridge management professionals. Commercialisation of two of Mangat's research innovations, alkali activated materials (AAMs) and low voltage accelerated curing systems (LOVACS), has achieved direct sales of £0.5m and development of the spin-out Liquid Granite Ltd. Additionally, his corrosion protection systems have been adopted by engineering consultants Mott MacDonald, enabling them to win commissioned corrosion-remediation works of over £1m
£80m has been saved since 2008 by London Underground (LU) and yet more by bridge owners in the UK as a direct result of using the Arching Action (AA) enhancements in strength predicted by our research. The associated disruption would have resulted in enormous congestion, losses economically of £ billions and negative social impact. Multi-million $ savings have also accrued in North America from the use of corrosion free deck bridges, which have minimum maintenance, as has our innovative flexible concrete arch (patented 2004) which has been used for over 40 FlexiArch bridges (£15m in contracts) since 2008.
ERPE research, since 2001, into the application of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites for strengthening existing civil engineering structures continues to impact design guidelines for preserving and updating the worldwide ageing infrastructure. The lifetime extension of existing infrastructure and buildings is a priority: the UK Government plans to invest up to £250bn over 10 years to return UK infrastructure to `world class' performance. 75% of developed world infrastructure investment covers retrofitting and repair rather than new-build. FRP strengthening is now the method of choice for seismic retrofit, capacity enhancement, structural repair and rehabilitation of concrete and masonry structures.
ERPE research to enhance strength and structural integrity has been used in the development of, or been incorporated into, at least 12 design guides codes and standards worldwide in at least 5 countries including Australia, Canada, China etc.
Research within the Building Research Establishment's sponsored Centre for Innovative Construction Materials (CICM) at the University of Bath has allowed the life of concrete structures to be extended through developing (a) proper methods for assessing existing capacity and (b) the means to increase capacity where necessary. This has prevented buildings and bridges (managed, for example, by large asset owners such as the Highways Agency and Network Rail) from being condemned as unfit for purpose, resulting in vast savings in reconstruction costs and preventing disruption to infrastructure users. The work has led to the researchers being commissioned to write guidance documents that are routinely used by infrastructure owners and consulting engineers worldwide. Over the course of the last eight years this has resulted in several £millions of savings to infrastructure owners and the UK economy.
This Alliance project demonstrated, through the exploration of flexible formwork techniques, that it is possible to use concrete in a much more diverse, sustainable and quality-controlled way than in 20th century architecture, achieving a 25-35% reduction in the carbon footprint of concrete constructions. It has engendered an attitudinal change within the global construction industry, with one US industry professional saying "Prior to this research, concrete was often perceived of as a harsh, aggressive material. Experimentation with fabric forming has shown that it doesn't have to be so". The research has led to two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, an award-winning Chelsea Flower Show entry and the proprietary application of the technology in other forms of construction. It has also stimulated partnership working with government and schools; collaboration described as the "Curriculum for Excellence at its best".