Master's Thesis in Structural Engineering

At Inhouse Tech we are delighted to mentor two students who are conducting their master’s thesis in our Bridge and Infrastructure Department. Alexander and Ivar, currently in their final semester of the Structural Engineering Master's program at Chalmers University, are positioned at the office with us throughout the spring semester. Their thesis focuses on composite bridges made of concrete and glulam with end diaphragms. This concept, known as Timber Concrete Composite (TCC), is being explored due to its potential to reduce both carbon emissions and production costs.

The primary challenge of this concept is to achieve effective interaction between the concrete and glulam to create a material-efficient structure, while ensuring that the connections exhibit ductile behaviour. A case study will be conducted in which a single-span concrete bridge with end diaphragms, designed by Inhouse Tech, will be compared with composite bridges made of concrete and glulam featuring various connections that have been developed and dimensioned. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and a Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis will then be performed to compare the bridges and draw conclusions about the suitability and timing of using timber-concrete composite bridges.