Climate change is expected to have a severe impact on cultural heritage in the future. This study presents the methodology developed during the FP7 project Climate for Culture, of assessing the climate change impact on collection objects in cultural heritage buildings. The main innovation lies in coupling new high resolution future climate projections with building simulation tools in order to predict future indoor climate and identify future risks in historic buildings. The case study is an intermittently heated wooden chapel in Croatia. The whole building simulation model of the chapel was validated using a newly developed method of accuracy assessment in the context of preventive conservation. Even though modeling intermittent heating induces limitations in the model, it can be used for computing of future indoor data. Future indoor climate data was assessed for possible risks of biological, mechanical, and chemical damage to painted wooden panels using the newly developed specific climate risk assessment. When using this method of damage assessment on buildings with active climate control, especially with intermittent heating, it is recommended to determine the relevant season for the damage process in order to objectively analyze results.

The main principle of vibration-based damage detection in structures is to interpret the changes in dynamic properties of the structure as indicators of damage. In this study, the mode shape damage index (MSDI) method was used to identify discrete damages in plate-like structures. This damage index is based on the difference between modified modal displacements in the undamaged and damaged state of the structure. In order to assess the advantages and limitations of the proposed algorithm, we performed experimental modal analysis on a reinforced concrete (RC) plate under 10 different damage cases. The MSDI values were calculated through considering single and/or multiple damage locations, different levels of damage, and boundary conditions. The experimental results confirmed that the MSDI method can be used to detect the existence of damage, identify single and/or multiple damage locations, and estimate damage severity in the case of single discrete damage.

This study presents a complex experimental research of a damaged steel railway bridge. Before the reconstruction, the elastic behavior of the material was evaluated using the hole-drilling strain gauge method of determining residual stresses at the relevant cross-sections. During the reconstruction project (lifting of the structure), a short-term monitoring system was installed at the critical cross-sections for continuous recording of strain. The aim was to evaluate the quality of the reconstruction intervention and prevent further damages. Following a successful reconstruction, a diagnostic load testing was performed according to Croatian standards. The purpose of the load testing (static and dynamic) was to evaluate the ability of the bridge to carry the design loads and calibrate the finite element models. During static load testing vertical displacement was measured as well as strain. Dynamic load testing of the bridge was performed in order to determine the main dynamic parameters of the structure and to calculate the dynamic factor. In order to select the appropriate measurement parameters and methods used during this experimental research it was necessary to consider the bridge type, materials and reconstruction or strengthening interventions. Especially, since this bridge was an example of insufficient inspection and maintenance during service. A well-designed monitoring and diagnostic load testing needed to be performed in order to obtain useful results for the decision makers involved.

The main aim of this study is to analyze fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks according to their material, cross-section, and shape geometry. Infill cell configurations of the decks (rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, and honeycomb) were tested based on the FRP cell units available in the market. A comparison was made for each cell configuration in flat and curved bridge shapes. Another comparison was made between the material properties. Each model was computed for a composite layup material and a quasi-isotropic material. The quasi-isotropic material represents chopped fibers within a matrix. FE (finite element) analysis was performed on a total of 24 models using Abaqus software. The results show that the bridge shape geometry and infill configuration play an important role in increasing the stiffness, more so than improving the material properties. The arch shape of the bridge deck with quasi-isotropic material and chopped fibers was compared to the cross-ply laminate material in a flat bridge deck. The results show that the arch shape of the bridge deck contributed to the overall stiffness by reducing the deformation by an average of 30–40%. The results of this preliminary study will provide a basis for future research into form finding and laboratory testing.

The composite lighting poles are filament wound GRP tapered tubes with a variable wall thickness across the length. In this study, the effective flexural properties of GRP poles have been determined, experimentally and theoretically. Cantilever bending tests were performed on full-scale GRP tubes and the effective flexural modulus was calculated from the initial slope of the flexural stress-strain curve based on the classical beam theory. The results show that the strain range corresponding to the linear behaviour is the same as under three-point and four-point tests with smaller specimens. Unlike other methods, the proposed method considers the variation of the cross-sectional properties across the pole length. The effective properties of GRP tubes were further determined considering the orthotropic and unsymmetrical layup of the wall segment. A sensitivity analysis was performed at the lamina as well as the laminate level in order to evaluate the influence of material properties of the matrix and the fibres, the amount and orientation of the fibres as well as the layer thickness. Finally, the effective (replacement) flexural modulus of a filament wound tube was determined based on the classical lamination theory and compared to experimentally determined values. It was concluded that the replacement flexural modulus is a matrix dominated property highly influenced by the fibre volume fraction.