At our Annual project meeting, hosted by ARUP on March 22, 2024, we launched a new phase for the SUBLIME project. This project is all about using smart technology and engineering to make big steel structures like bridges and buildings stronger and last longer. We are focusing on beating two big problems: fatigue and corrosion, with something called Structural Health Monitoring.
During the meeting we have selected specific user cases to apply our work: two for bridges provided by the Municipality of Amsterdam and Rijkswaterstaat, and one for sheet piles for North Sea Port. There is also a potential user case for the Province of Zuid Holland, but it is still under discussion, and we are making progress on finalizing it.
Watch our project introductory video to learn more about SUBLIME project. Discover how collaboration between industry leaders, academic researchers, and technology providers is revolutionizing infrastructure management on a national scale.
Project participants are grateful for ARUP and particularly to Janwillem Breider for meeting organization and hosting.
SUBLIME workshop at TU Delft builds on earlier insights
On 1 April 2026, TU Delft hosted a follow-up workshop on Sustainable and Reliable Steel Infrastructures, continuing the work started during the first SUBLIME workshop held in September 2025 at Leiden University. The workshop focused on the challenges, solutions and stakeholders associated with the sustainable and reliable operation and governance of steel infrastructures.
SUBLIME Annual Meeting Showcases Progress, Collaboration, and Real-World Impact
On 27 March, the SUBLIME consortium gathered for its annual user committee meeting, hosted by ProRail in a unique and inspiring setting at the Spoorwegmuseum in Utrecht. The meeting brought together academic researchers, industry partners, and infrastructure stakeholders to exchange insights, review progress, and strengthen collaboration across the project.
EngD Project Defence: Ali Sabzi Khoshraftar
The SUBLIME consortium is pleased to announce the successful defence of the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) project by Ali Sabzi Khoshraftar, who presented his work on the development and evaluation of predictive digital twins for steel bridge assessment and maintenance.
Monitoring steel bridges in practice: Van Hall Bridge featured online
The SUBLIME consortium is pleased to see that recent monitoring campaigns at the Van Hall Bridge in Amsterdam are now featured in an online article and video published by Aan de Gracht(en) Amsterdam. The publication highlights how in-depth monitoring of steel bridges contributes to a better understanding of their condition, vulnerabilities, and long-term performance.
CT de Boer Showcases SUBLIME Fieldwork at the 2025 M2i Conference
During the 2025 M2i Conference at Papendal, Anton Gorter of Civiele Technieken de Boer presented the progress of SUBLIME’s field monitoring work on the Van Hall Bridge in Amsterdam. His talk, “An on-site measurement campaign – it sounds so simple” highlighted the many practical steps and unforeseen challenges involved in collecting high-quality strain data on a historic movable steel bridge.
Sheet Pile Corrosion Study Begins
The SUBLIME project is taking a major step forward in understanding how steel sheet piles age in real port conditions. In close collaboration with North Sea Port (NSP), TU Delft researcher Prasaanth Ravi Anusuyadevi is preparing the installation of a new field-testing structure that will allow long-term monitoring of corrosion processes on S355 steel.
Following recent discussions between TU Delft and NSP, both partners agreed to install a dedicated sample-carrying structure directly in the port. The design includes three identical frames, each hosting nine steel samples and each intended for different exposure durations: 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. The samples will be positioned at different depths along the waterline to capture how corrosion varies from splash zone to full immersion.