Structural application of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials is one of the key factors leading to technological innovations in aviation, chemical, offshore oil and gas, rail and marine sectors. Motivated by such successes, FRP shapes and systems are increasingly used in the construction sector, such as for bridges and small residential buildings. An obstacle to a wider use of FRP materials in structural engineering is the current lack of comprehensive design rules and design standards. While the preparation of design guidance for static actions is at an advanced stage in the USA and EU, the design against dynamic loading is underdeveloped, resulting in cautious and conservative structural design solutions. Knowledge on the dynamic properties (natural frequencies, modal damping ratios, modal masses and mode shapes of relevant vibration modes) of FRP structures and their performance under dynamic actions (such as pedestrian excitation, vehicle loading, wind and train buffeting) needs to be advanced if to achieve the full economic, architectural and engineering merits in having FRP components/structures in civil engineering works. This project will provide a step change to design practice by developing new procedures and recommendations for design against dynamic actions. This will be achieved by: 1) Developing an instrumented bridge structure at the University of Warwick campus that will provide unique insight into both static and dynamic performance over the course of the project, and beyond; 2) Providing novel experimental data on dynamic properties and in-service vibration response of ten full-scale FRP structures; and 3) Critical evaluation of the numerical modelling and current vibration serviceability design approaches. The data collected will be delivered in a systematic form and made available, via an open-access on-line database for rapid and easy dissemination, to academic and industrial beneficiaries, as well as to agencies supporting the preparation of institutional, national and international consensus design guidance. Outcomes from this project will provide the crucial missing information required for the reliable design of light-weight FRP structures, and pave the way towards this structural material becoming a 'material of choice' for future large-scale bridges and other dynamically loaded structures. This medium to longer-term impact is aligned with national plans for the UK having a sustainable and resilient built environment.

This proposal is to establish a DTC in Wind and Marine Energy Systems. It brings together the UK's leading institutions in Wind Energy, the University of Strathclyde, and Marine Energy, the University of Edinburgh. The wider aim, drawing on existing links to the European Research Community, is to maintain a growing research capability, with the DTC at is core, that is internationally leading in wind and marine energy and on a par with the leading centres in Denmark, the USA, Germany and the Netherlands. To meet the interdisciplinary research demands of this sector requires a critical mass of staff and early stage researchers, of the sort that this proposal would deliver, to be brought together with all the relevant skills. Between the two institutions, academic staff have in-depth expertise covering the wind and wave resource, aerodynamics and hydrodynamics, design of wind turbines and marine energy devices, wind farms, fixed and floating structures, wind turbine, wind farm and marine energy devices control, power conversion, condition monitoring, asset management, grid-integration issues and economics of renewable energy. A centre of learning and research with strong links to the Wind and Marine Energy industry will be created that will provide a stimulating environment for the PhD students. In the first year of a four year programme, a broad intensive training will be provided to the students in all aspects of Wind and Marine Energy together with professional engineer training in research, communication, business and entrepreneurial skills. The latter will extend throughout the four years of the programme. Research will be undertaken in all aspects of Wind and Marine Energy. A DTC in Wind and Marine Energy Systems is vital to the UK energy sector for a number of reasons. The UK electricity supply industry is currently undergoing a challenging transition driven by the need to meet the Government's binding European targets to provide 15% of the UK's total primary energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2020. Given that a limited proportion of transport and heating energy will come from such sources, it is expected that electricity supply will make the major contribution to this target. As a consequence, 40% or more of electricity will have to be generated from non-thermal sources. It is predicted that the UK market for both onshore and offshore wind energy is set to grow to £20 billion by 2015.There is a widely recognised skills gap in renewable energy that could limit this projected growth in the UK and elsewhere unless the universities dramatically increase the scale of their activities in this area. At the University of Strathclyde, the students will initially be housed in the bespoke accommodation in the Royal College Building allocated and refurbished for the existing DTC in Wind and Marine Energy Systems then subsequently in the Technology and Innovation Centre Building when it is completed. At the University of Edinburgh, the students will be housed in the bespoke accommodation in the Kings Buildings allocated and refurbished for the existing IDC in Offshore Renewable Energy. The students will have access to the most advanced design, analysis and simulation software tools available, including the industry standard wind turbine and wind farm design tools and a wide range of power system and computation modelling packages. Existing very strong links to industry of the academic team will be utilised to provide strategic guidance to the proposed DTC in Wind and Marine Energy through company membership of its Industrial Advisory Board and participation in 8 week 7 projects as part of the training year and in 3 year PhD projects. In addition, to providing suggestions for projects and engaging in the selection process, the Industry Partners provide support in the form of data, specialist software, access to test-rigs and advice and guidance to the students.