Risk Mitigation for Highway and Railway Bridges Abstract:
Performance of the transportation network strongly depends on the performance of bridges. They constitute a vital part of the transportation infrastructure system, and are vulnerable to extreme events such as natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, major storms), in addition to hazards stemming from negligence and improper maintenance, collisions (vessels and vehicles), intentional acts of vandalism, and terrorist attacks. These structures must be protected; however, the current approach to risk is decidedly irrational. Therefore, this project’s objective is to develop efficient risk analysis procedures for assessment of the actual safety reserve in highway and railway bridges.
We focus on the approach at the system level, using system reliability methods. Sensitivity analysis will be performed to relate the reliability of bridges and reliability of the transportation network. The results will then be used to identify the critical parameters. The target risk will be determined depending on consequences of failure and relative costs. Rational selection criteria will be developed for the target risk level for bridges (components and systems) as a part of the transportation network, based on the consequences of failure and relative costs. This will involve the development of efficient system reliability procedures that will be applied to perform sensitivity analysis relating various parameters and reliability. The resulting sensitivity functions will provide a rational basis for identification of the most important parameters that affect network performance. Rational selection criteria for the target risk will find important applications for decision making processes in regards to operation, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement.
