B.Sc., M.Sc. Civil engineering at the Civil Engineering School, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, (Spain).
M.Sc. in Geotechnical Engieering at the University of California, Davis (Davis, CA, USA).
Ph.D. at the Geotechnical Engineering Department. Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, (Spain).
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Civil Engineering. Structural Health Monitoring. Structural retrofitting. Building construction
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Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Structural health monitoring of ungraded timber beams using long-gauge fiber optic sensors Ignacio Paya-Zaforteza, Roberto Mansilla-Ruiz, Norberto Robayo-Mora, Pedro A. Calderón Case Studies in Construction Materials, 2025 This study investigates the use of long-gauge fiber optic sensors (FOS) for the structural health monitoring of a sawn fir timber beam under bending. The 3 m long beam was made from ungraded timber—i.e., wood not classified by standardized criteria. FOS were installed near a support and at mid-span to measure strains, from which stresses, neutral axis positions, deflections, and the beam’s global modulus of elasticity were estimated. Experimental stresses were compared with theoretical values using two approaches: one assuming the neutral axis coincides with the geometric centroid, and another using its experimentally determined position. Mean absolute errors (MAE) between theoretical and FOS-based stress values remained below 1.3 MPa, demonstrating excellent agreement. Three sensor configurations were then tested to estimate the beam’s deflections and global modulus of elasticity: FOS at mid-span only, FOS near-support only, and combined (FOS at mid-span and near supports). Deflections were calculated from strain-derived curvatures using closed-form expressions and compared with LVDT measurements, yielding MAE values below 0.8 mm (span/3750). The combined configuration performed best, with a deflection MAE of 0.24 mm and a +6.0% deviation in estimated global modulus of elasticity relative to LVDT-based values. By validating stress estimates and demonstrating accurate, equation-based deflection evaluation and the indirect determination of stiffness through the global modulus of elasticity, the study confirms the potential of long-gauge FOS as the basis for long-term, multi-parameter, strain-based SHM strategies that can be extended beyond ungraded timber to other structural materials and applications.
Robustness-based assessment and monitoring of steel truss railway bridges to prevent progressive collapse Maria Cristina Porcu, Manuel Buitrago, Pedro A. Calderón, Michele Garau, Mariano F. Cocco, Jose M. Adam Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 2025 Risks of bridge collapse were and continue to be real as evidenced by classical (e.g. Québec Bridge, Canada 1919; Seongsu Bridge, South Korea 1994) and recent (e.g. Skagit River Bridge, USA 2013; Francis Scott Key Bridge, USA 2024) episodes of catastrophic collapses. The causes of each collapse are diverse (e.g. natural disasters, changing conditions, design errors, intentional attacks). Still, the conclusions are always the same: deaths, injuries and large amounts of direct and indirect economic losses. In order to avoid these catastrophes, structural robustness and monitoring strategies can be used to analyse the bridge's vulnerability and anticipate any local-initial failure that can spread to the whole structure in the form of a progressive collapse. The objective of this work was to use an integrative threat-dependent and threat-independent approach to analyse the structural robustness of a never-before-studied U-shaped open cross-section steel truss railway bridge structure. Eight failure scenarios were considered and analysed through computational modelling. The extracted results make it possible: (i) to connect structural robustness analysis outputs with the definition of a new structural health monitoring strategy of the bridge; and (ii) to implement the conclusions in the real bridge with more than 100 sensors and a non-assisted alarm system for preventing progressive collapse. • Structural robustness analysis defines a new strategy for the structural health monitoring of steel truss bridges. • An integrative threat-dependent and threat-independent approach to analyse the structural robustness is used. • U-shaped open cross-section steel truss railway bridge structure is studied for the first time. • U-shaped cross-section bridge has more potential to experience problems than bridges with closed-box cross-section. • Implementation in a bridge with more than 100 sensors and a non-assisted alarm system for preventing progressive collapse.
Detecting wire breaks in prestressed concrete pipes: an easy-to-install distributed fibre acoustic sensing approach Lisbel Rueda-García, Daniel Tasquer-Val, Pedro Calderón-Bofías, Pedro A Calderón Structural Health Monitoring, 2025 The escalating water stress resulting from drought conditions in certain global regions underscores the imperative to minimize water losses, particularly within drinking water supply networks. One way to achieve this is by improving pipe monitoring systems to allow the early detection of possible structural collapse of the pipes. One type of pipe widely used in water mains is the prestressed concrete pipe, whose main cause of structural failure is the breakage of prestressing wires. This research paper analyses the ability of an easy-to-install distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) monitoring system using fibre optics to identify and locate the acoustic signal produced by the wire breaks in prestressed concrete pipes to make early detection of possible structural failures. For this purpose, a large experimental pipeline stretch was built (approximately 1 m in diameter and 40 m long) where wire breaks were simulated. Several variables were studied: the origin of the signal (to distinguish wire breaks from events of a similar nature), the location of the event in the pipe, the presence of background noise, the internal water pressure, the length of the prestressed wire not subject to bonding with the concrete and the presence of water in the pipe. The results showed that the DAS system could detect almost all events. In addition, two of the multiple parameters measured in the signals, the zero-crossing rate and the short-time energy, made it possible to precisely determine the signal’s origin and the event’s location. Another parameter measured, the duration of the signal in this case, made it possible to differentiate whether the events had occurred when the pipe was empty or full of water. These and other results in this paper present a highly promising perspective on using this DAS system in water main monitoring.
EFFECTIVENESS OF RETROFITTING TECHNIQUES BASED ON TRM FOR PREVENTING SEISMIC-INDUCES DAMAGE ON MASONRY BUILDINGS World Conference on Earthquake Engineering Proceedings, 2024
Geotechnical Characterization of Quito’s North-Central Zone as Applied to Deep Excavation in the Urban Setting Vicente E. Capa, F. Javier Torrijo, Pedro A. Calderón, Carlos Hidalgo Signes Sustainability Switzerland, 2023 This paper describes an in-depth soil characterization study in the La Carolina financial district of Quito (Ecuador). As there was very little information available on the geotechnical structure of Quito’s volcanic soil, particularly in this area, where large-scale property development has taken place, the aim was to provide information on soil parameters to engineers working on large geotechnical and civil engineering projects based on the results of a thorough and comprehensive study of such properties. A series of field tests were performed at three different sites, where thin-walled tube samples were collected for lab testing to estimate the index properties and mechanical parameters. These index properties were then combined with conventional two-way drainage oedometer tests and stress-path triaxial testing to evaluate compressibility, stiffness and strength. The subsoil was found to be partly composed of slightly overconsolidated volcanic soils. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses were also conducted to determine mineralogical and microstructural features and evaluate their influence on the mechanical behavior of the volcanic soil. This type of research is frequently applied to the study of landslides in urban environments, where it is essential to understand their failure mechanisms, especially in slopes generated by the construction of important engineering works. Therefore, based on this geotechnical characterization study, parameters were subsequently determined for the Mohr–Coulomb (MC), Hardening Soil (HS), and Hardening Soil with Small-Strain Stiffness (HSsmall) soil constitutive models, and these were applied to a numerical study of the Soil Nailing system behavior for the construction of a five-level underground car parking structure of an important building located in the north-central sector of the city of Quito. It was verified that the HSsmall and HS constitutive soil models better reproduce the behavior of this type of structure. Finally, the multiple geotechnical parameters determined in this study significantly contribute to the analysis of these structures in this soil type.
Briefing: Construction of RC buildings - ICITECH's experience over the last 30 years Manuel Buitrago, Pedro A. Calderón, Juan J. Moragues, José M. Adam Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Structures and Buildings, 2023 This paper contains a summary of the experience obtained by researchers at the Instituto Universitario de Ciencia y Tecnologia del Hormigon (ICITECH) at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain),...
Fatigue Assessment and Structural Health Monitoring of Steel Truss Bridges Manuel Buitrago, Elisa Bertolesi, Pedro A. Calderón, José M. Adam Data Driven Methods for Civil Structural Health Monitoring and Resilience Latest Developments and Applications, 2023 This chapter describes a double experimental and analytical fatigue residual life prediction of a steel truss-type railway bridge constructed between 1913 and 1915. The experimental part of the study involved full-scale fatigue testing of (i) a full-scale bridge span and (ii) an upper crossbeam. Both structures belong to a twin bridge of that under study. Both tests considered an extensive monitoring system to capture the possible nucleation and propagation of fatigue cracks. The analytical part of the study consisted of applying the fracture mechanics theory in advanced numerical models, and this approach confirmed the crack nucleation and propagation obtained in the experimental part. These studies were also used to define a monitoring method to help in decision making in case of possible fatigue failures. Even though other researchers had previously carried out fatigue tests on full-scale riveted bridge elements, this study is unique in that it is the first time a full-scale bridge has been subjected to fatigue tests.
Joint strengthening by external bars on RC beam-column joints Joaquín G. Ruiz-Pinilla, Antoni Cladera, Francisco J. Pallarés, Pedro A. Calderón, Jose M. Adam Journal of Building Engineering, 2022 Column strengthening is a very common practice for improving the seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame structures or repairing damage after a seismic event. Several methods are employed for column strengthening, which can improve column strength by preventing its shear, bending or compression failure. However, not all methods allow column strengthening connections between adjacent floors, thus the beam-column joint strength could be limited by the column-joint interface capacity. This work aimed to analyse two joint strengthening designs, for which an experimental campaign of eight full-scale beam-column joints strengthened with steel caging, and subjected to cyclic and gravity loads, was carried out. As access to joint panels is very complex in existing structures, joint strengthening consists of external solutions: vertical or diagonal bars and capitals connecting columns. The results showed that these techniques significantly increased beam-column joint strength and highlighted that failure can be undesirably transferred to the joint. Vertical bars prevented the bending failure of the column-joint interface, but failure occurred at the joint in this study. Diagonal bars can also prevent joint failure.
Effects of bonding on the performance of optical fiber strain sensors Ignazio Floris, Valentino Sangiorgio, José M. Adam, Giuseppina Uva, Monica Rapido, Pedro A. Calderón, Javier Madrigal Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 2021 The structural health monitoring (SHM) of existing buildings, structures, and infrastructures has become increasingly important in recent years, while the interest of the scientific community is focused on the use of new high‐performance technologies. Fiber optic sensors have become particularly attractive, thanks to their potential for monitoring strain in smart structures. The performance of this new technology depends to a large extent on the bonding technique used for its manufacture. Although the related literature has identified a correlation between some efficiency issues and the geometrical parameters of the bonding and mechanical properties of the materials adopted, the phenomenon is still not completely understood. This paper describes an in‐depth study of the geometrical and mechanical parameters that influence the efficiency of optical fiber point sensors' surface bonding by synergistically related techniques such as computational simulation, experimental tests, sensor manufacturing, and data analysis. The paper's novelty is fourfold: (1) the investigation of the strain transfer mechanism of surface‐bonded fiber optic sensors by considering, for the first time, all the parameters influencing the phenomenon through a considerable number of finite element (FE) analyses (117 three‐dimensional FE models); (2) the development of a series of bonding efficiency predictive models; (3) the design of a specific laboratory test to validate the computational outcomes; and (4) the definition of useful guidelines for effective bonding manufacturing in order to maximize the performance of these sensors when acquiring monitoring data.
3D advanced numerical modelling of a catalan-layered masonry vault unreinforced and reinforced with glass-TRM materials and subjected to vertical support movements Compdyn Proceedings, 2021
Testing of full-size concrete building structures under sudden column removal Fib Symposium, 2020
Testing of full-size concrete building structures under sudden column removal Proceedings of the Fib Symposium 2020 Concrete Structures for Resilient Society, 2020
A new procedure for tunnel convergence monitoring using Optical Multicore Fiber Shape Sensor Optics Infobase Conference Papers, 2020
Experimental study of the influence of FBG length on optical multicore shape sensors performance Asia Communications and Photonics Conference ACP, 2019
A methodology based on temperature monitoring to reduce fire risk in tunnels IABSE Conference Geneva 2015 Structural Engineering Providing Solutions to Global Challenges Report, 2015
Use of temperature monitoring to estimate fire loads in tunnel fires. A case study on the Virgolo Tunnel Shmii 2015 7th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, 2015
Evaluation of the response time of fast fibre optic high temperature sensors for structural monitoring of structures submitted to fire Shmii 2015 7th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, 2015
Finite element modelling of steel-caged reinforced concrete columns subjected to combined bending and axial loads Civil Comp Proceedings, 2012
Embankment of the slopes of the Arenos reservoir in Puebla de Arenoso (Castellon) Dam Maintenance and Rehabilitation II Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress on Dam Maintenance and Rehabilitation, 2011
Structural damage assesment aided by modal testing Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Civil Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, 2009
Numerical and experimental study of RC columns strengthened by steel jacketing Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Civil Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing Civil Comp 2007, 2007
Numerical and experimental study on the use of a new security system for slab formwork in building construction Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Civil Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing Civil Comp 2007, 2007
Numerical and experimental study of the strengthening of reinforced concrete columns using steel angles and strips Real Structures Bridges and Tall Buildings Proceedings of the 10th East Asia Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Easec 2010, 2006
Experimental study on use conditions of a new security system during slab formwork Materials Experimentation Maintenance and Rehabilitation Proceedings of the 10th East Asia Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Easec 2010, 2006
Estimation of shore removal times in bi-directional in situ concrete floor slabs applying the maturity method Construction and Professional Practices Proceedings of the 10th East Asia Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Easec 2010, 2006
Hydraulic study of the emergency works on Arenos reservoir (Mijares River, Spain): Prototype and numerical modelling International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures Xxii Congreso Latinoamericano De Hidraulica, 2006
Experimental study on full-scale reinforced concrete columns strengthened by steel battens tested in uniaxial-compression Structural Concrete and Time Proceedings of the Fib Symposium, 2005
Contribution to the study of the strengthening of reinforced concrete columns using steel angles and steel battens 5th International Phd Symposium in Civil Engineering Proceedings of the 5th International Phd Symposium in Civil Engineering, 2004