Description

In this session, Rajeshwaran M, Luke Fox, and Neeraj Kulkarni from WSP present a detailed, practice-based case study on the assessment of half joint details in existing UK bridge structures using MIDAS Civil NX and MIDAS FEA NX. Half joints are a critical and often vulnerable detail in older concrete bridge decks, and their accurate assessment requires a carefully considered workflow that bridges global structural behaviour and highly localised stress conditions.

The WSP team walks through two representative project types — a multi-span post-tensioned concrete bridge and a steel composite bridge — demonstrating how the assessment was structured from initial global modelling through to local FEA analysis of the half joint region. The session covers the real engineering challenges encountered on these projects, including decisions around modelling strategy, interpretation of local stress results, and how those results informed assessment outcomes and strengthening decisions.

Attendees will gain direct insight into how experienced bridge engineers apply MIDAS tools within a rigorous UK assessment framework.