Diploma in Design of Cable-Stayed and Extradosed Bridges
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in cable-stayed and extradosed bridge design, structured in 8 modules covering bridge typologies, stay cables and anchorage systems, structural analysis, deck design, pylons and foundations, construction process and aerodynamics under the Eurocodes, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Design of Cable-Stayed and Extradosed Bridges — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$2,960 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Select the appropriate stay arrangement for each site.
Size stay cables and anchorages for strength and fatigue.
Model cable-stayed bridges taking non-linearities into account.
Design decks and pylons in accordance with the Eurocodes.
Analyse the construction process and the stressing sequence.
Assess the aerodynamic and dynamic response of the bridge.
Develop a complete preliminary design for a cable-stayed or extradosed bridge.
Who it's for
- Bridge engineers.
- Structural analysts and designers.
- Bridge construction engineers.
- Designers of landmark structures.
- Post-tensioning and stressing control engineers.
- Structural consultants.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into road infrastructure.
What you'll work with
- EN 1992-2 (Eurocode 2 — concrete bridges)
- EN 1993-1-11 (Eurocode 3 — design of structures with tension components)
- EN 1994-2 (Eurocode 4 — composite steel and concrete bridges)
- EN 1991-2 (Eurocode 1 — traffic loads on bridges)
- EN 1991-1-4 (Eurocode 1 — wind actions)
- IAP-11 (Spanish code on actions for road bridges)
- fib Bulletin 89 (acceptance of stay cable systems using prestressing steels)
- PTI DC45.1 (recommendations for stay cable design, testing and installation)
- Midas Civil
- SOFiSTiK
- CSI SAP2000
- Allplan Bridge
- LUSAS Bridge
8 modules
1.1History and evolution of cable-stayed bridges1.2Harp and fan stay arrangements1.3Pylon shapes and materials1.4Concrete, composite and steel decks1.5Central and lateral suspension1.6Span ranges and proportions1.7The extradosed bridge concept1.8Landmark reference bridges1.9Typology selection criteria1.10Workshop: preliminary design of a 300 m cable-stayed bridge
2.1Parallel strands and locked-coil cables2.2Corrosion protection of stay cables2.3Active and passive anchorages2.4Saddles in extradosed bridges2.5Fatigue of stay cables2.6fib and PTI recommendations for stay cables2.7Stay cable qualification tests2.8Stay cable dampers2.9Replacing stay cables in service2.10Practical exercise: fatigue check of a stay cable
3.1Frame models and non-linearity3.2Ernst equivalent modulus3.3Second-order effects in pylons3.4Concrete creep and shrinkage3.5Optimisation of stressing forces3.6Traffic loads according to EN 1991-23.7Thermal actions on deck and stay cables3.8Seismic analysis of the whole structure3.9Accidental loss of a stay cable3.10Lab: cable-stayed bridge model in Midas Civil
4.1Box, slab and edge-girder sections4.2Steel-concrete composite decks4.3Transverse load distribution4.4Longitudinal prestressing of the deck4.5Stay cable anchorages in the deck4.6Torsional stiffness of the deck4.7Checks according to EN 1992-2 and EN 1994-24.8Deck construction details4.9Expansion joints and bearings4.10Case study: deck design of an extradosed bridge
5.1H, A and inverted-Y pylons5.2Stay cable anchorage in the pylon5.3Buckling and stability of the pylon5.4High-strength concrete5.5Deep foundations of pylons5.6Soil-structure interaction in foundations5.7Protection against ship impact5.8Seismic design of pylons5.9Construction with climbing formwork5.10Practical exercise: stability of a pylon
6.1Balanced cantilever construction6.2Stay cable stressing sequence6.3Construction stage analysis6.4Geometric control during construction6.5Stay cable force adjustment6.6Form travellers6.7Closure at midspan6.8Risks during construction6.9Monitoring during execution6.10Case study: simulation of construction stages
7.1Wind effects on decks7.2Flutter and galloping7.3Vortex shedding7.4Rain-wind induced stay cable vibrations7.5Wind tunnel testing7.6Structural damping of the whole bridge7.7User comfort7.8Bridge load testing7.9Inspection and maintenance7.10Lab: modal analysis of a cable-stayed bridge
8.1Site constraints8.2Study of alternatives8.3Preliminary design of the solution8.4Analysis model8.5Stay cable design8.6Proposed construction process8.7Structural checks at serviceability and ultimate limit states8.8Drawings and budget8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Midas Civil, SOFiSTiK, CSI SAP2000, Allplan Bridge and LUSAS Bridge, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: construction stage models of cable-stayed bridges, fatigue checks of stay cables and studies of typology alternatives. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: EN 1992-2, EN 1993-1-11, EN 1994-2, EN 1991-2, EN 1991-1-4, IAP-11, fib Bulletin 89, PTI DC45.1
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Midas Civil, SOFiSTiK, CSI SAP2000, Allplan Bridge and LUSAS Bridge, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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