Published on: 2026-08-20
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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Nikolay Kozak
Associate Professor of the Department of Transport Systems and Road and Bridge Construction at SPbGASU Nikolay Kozak won the prestigious grant competition of the Shanghai Sci-tech Co-research Program, organized by the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.
In 2026–2028, Nikolai Kozak, as a visiting researcher at Tongji University (Shanghai, China), will lead the project “Structural Condition Monitoring System Based on Artificial Intelligence for Predicting the Reliability of High-Speed Railway Bridges.”
Tongji University Pavement Laboratory
The project’s goal is to develop an innovative monitoring system that will enable a shift from passive bridge condition control (comparing indicators with threshold values) to forecasting the reliability of structures using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
As a result of the project, it is planned to create a “self-learning” digital twin of steel-reinforced concrete span structures, adapted to operating conditions in countries with harsh climates and vast territories (such as Russia and China). The system will contain two key components: AI-based signal processing for early detection of signs of stiffness degradation and a self-updating digital twin for forecasting changes in reliability metrics depending on accumulated damage and climatic effects.
Tongji University in Shanghai is one of China’s leading research centers. Its structure prominently includes a large bridge department, comprising more than 15 subdivisions, including the specialized subdivision “Bridge Monitoring Systems.” It is here that unique expertise and experimental capabilities necessary for the project’s implementation are concentrated.
Aerodynamics Laboratory of Tongji University
For the next two years, Nikolay Kozak will combine his work at SPbGASU with periodic business trips to Shanghai for direct participation in ongoing research. Joint work with colleagues from Tongji University will help strengthen scientific and professional ties between the two leading construction universities of Russia and China, as well as make a significant contribution to the development of the theory and practice of bridge structure monitoring.
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