Within the framework of the URTIMIS project and the development of predictive maintenance systems for urban rail tracks, a research visit by members of the Railway Engineering Chair at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb is planned to the group led by Prof. Eleni Chatzi at the Chair of Structural Mechanics and Monitoring at ETH Zurich.
Following a brief presentation of The Chair of Railways from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, the discussion will focus on the transition of maintenance strategies for urban railway tracks – from periodic inspections to predictive, data-driven infrastructure monitoring based on continuous data acquisition. Urban railway and tram systems are facing increasing operational loads, ageing infrastructure, environmental impacts of vibrations, and limited maintenance resources. In response to these challenges, approaches are being developed based on continuous monitoring of vibro-acoustic signals collected from instrumented vehicles in operation, combined with the development of digital twins and the instrumentation of track infrastructure. This enables detailed monitoring of track behaviour under real operating conditions.
During the visit, discussions will address:
- the application of vibro-acoustic measurement data for assessing track condition in urban railway systems
- the development of digital twins of track infrastructure based on machine learning and artificial intelligence
- the integration of continuous monitoring data into systems for maintenance planning and predictive maintenance of urban rail tracks
The visit represents a great opportunity for cooperation between The Department of Transportation Engineering at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and ETH Zurich, particularly in the context of research on urban tramway infrastructure and its long-term maintenance. Participation in such activities further highlights the importance of international collaboration and knowledge sharing in the development of smart and resilient transport systems.
Details about the visit can be found here.