Researchers working with the Swiss railway authority have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that assesses the safety of simple concrete bridges.

Academics at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich have created an AI model to assess a type of reinforced concrete bridge commonly used on Swiss railways.

Doctoral researcher Sophia Kuhn in a group led by Walter Kaufmann, ETH Professor of Structural Engineering (Concrete Structures and Bridge Design), has been focussing on the use of machine learning algorithms in construction. Working with colleague Marius Weber and the Swiss rail authority SBB, she has developed an AI model that aids prioritising of rigid frame bridges for structural assessments and interventions.

Sophia Kuhn was also involved in work on the use of AI to generate bridge designs that meet specified project objectives and boundary conditions.