Antony van Middelkoop

Introduction

During my first internship at ABT, I was intrigued by the questions “how does it really work?” and “how do you make it?”. Asking these questions has formed the basis of my career to this day. The insights gained from answering these questions are applied to finding the cause of nuisances, damages, and creating the most optimal design. The combination of theoretical depth and practical engagement excites me.

What I do at ABT

In the early years of my career, I focused on assessing and strengthening existing concrete structures. This knowledge is also useful in assessing and analyzing structural damages and the remaining lifespan of structures. For reinforcement, we usually recommend bonded carbon fiber reinforcement due to its high strength and relatively simple implementation. If the situation requires, we also have the knowledge to devise other traditional and innovative solutions.

Over time, my interest in non-linear finite element analysis has grown. Using advanced software, we simulate the behavior of a (concrete) structure. It’s like performing a virtual load test. This provides insight into the capacity and failure behavior of complex structural components. We use these insights to, for example, determine the cause of damage or demonstrate the safety of a design.

In recent years, I have delved into the vibration behavior of structures. I regularly conduct vibration measurements and analyses. Such measurements are carried out to quantify an observation (damage or nuisance), to identify structural parameters, or to support the design process (prediction). If necessary, we supplement this with modeling and calculations. Thanks to the combined knowledge of structures and dynamics, I am better able to link physical behavior to theoretical models.