Using centuries-old building methods to tackle a modern-day challenge will be the focus of new academic research being funded by the Rochester Bridge Trust.
For hundreds of years, masons have used stone to build bridges that have been proven to stand the test of time. Although labour-intensive and requiring a skilled workforce, the process is relatively low in carbon, especially when using materials from nearby quarries.
Current bridge building, by contrast, is largely reliant on steel and concrete, both of which are extremely carbon intensive and constitute two of the world’s hard-to-decarbonise sources of carbon dioxide.
A new PhD studentship at the University of Sheffield will explore how traditional construction techniques can help improve the bridge-building of today.
This project will explore the potential to update masonry design and construction for the 21st century, using natural stone as a low carbon, resilient building material that leverages the latest technology.
The research will focus on identifying appropriate design methodologies and assessing the potential for offsite fabrication techniques to speed up the process of bridge construction. It will examine how to exploit existing expertise in the assessment of masonry arch bridges and also the know-how of organisations which already prefabricate masonry elements for buildings.
James Booth, Director of Bridges at the Rochester Bridge Trust, said: “We all know how durable stone masonry bridges can be – just consider how many remain in daily use across the country, some of them hundreds of years old.
“This traditional form of building has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of new bridge projects significantly as well as being aesthetically pleasing and fitting well into the landscape.
“We’re pleased to be sponsoring this new PhD research and hope to be able to share some of the expertise the Trust has learned from its long custodianship of bridges over the River Medway at Rochester.”
The University of Sheffield’s expertise in this area was recently awarded the best paper prize at the 18th International Brick and Block Masonry Conference. The deadline for applications for the PhD is 5 January 2025.