Dr. Thiele is a professor at the University of Kassel in Germany. He has more than 40 years of experience in steel structure and bridge dynamics research, mainly engaged in steel structure design and bridge dynamics research. Participated in the wind design of the Nuncan Bridge. This is the first time in the world that shock absorbing dampers have been used on stay cables. Professor Thiele studied under Professor K.Kloeppel from Technische Hochshule Darmstadt, Germany. Professor Li Guohao, the former president of Tongji University and a famous bridge master in China, is a classmate before and after.

In an interview, Dr. Thiele said that in the 1940s, in Germany after World War II, many bridges were damaged and needed to be repaired and replaced. But today, decades later, bridge maintenance has become a worldwide problem. Due to the large-scale construction of bridges in the past few decades, all countries with orthotropic plate steel bridges are faced with the cost of necessary repairs and maintenance of the bridges. But we are not sure which is the best repair method. Because thousands of vehicles pass by the bridge every day, it is impossible to interrupt the traffic on the bridge. Bridge repairs can only be carried out under the premise of ensuring traffic operation.

In the construction of steel bridges, the management of welding quality is very important. The quality of welding depends on the efficiency of the welder. You can't judge the quality of a welder from the surface, all you can do is to check it every week. The welder can be tested and told to ensure the quality. If he can’t, he won’t be able to get the money, so that the welding quality can be continuously improved. Therefore, inspection is a necessary way to ensure quality.

Sometimes, the welding surface may be perfect, but I don’t know what it looks like inside. Maybe there are big problems hidden under the smooth surface. The only opportunity to make up is to test, open the welding surface, check all aspects, and correct any problems immediately.

Dr. Thiele said that sometimes the bridge has some cracks, but it does not affect the operation. In Kassel, Germany, he once investigated some bridges. The result is amazing. Many bridges have cracks, but the bridge itself is still good, so he suggested not to rush to repair it immediately. Perhaps these bridges can continue to exist for many years, and they can be kept as they are before the construction of new bridges. Don't fix it immediately, you can wait 10 years to see, but don't wait 50 years.

Dr. Thiele is a very cute gentleman, although he is in his seventies, he is still energetic, full of spirit, and will be humorous from time to time. When the reporter asked him if he likes football, Dr. Thiele shrugged and said solemnly: "I like my wife".