Towards Regional Safety Assessment of Bridge Infrastructure

Abstract

In the aftermath of disasters, it is increasingly recognized that while their occurrence is often inevitable, proactive risk management through adequate prioritization and preventative measures ought to be of utmost importance. Regions with large infrastructure networks (e.g. roadway bridges) exposed to different types of hazards and structural ageing/deteriorating over time are particularly vulnerable. Such vulnerability can become even more relevant in developing countries, which can face higher challenges in coping with extreme events. This paper describes a study on the bridge infrastructure network in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Israel and Italy as part of the project INFRA-NAT (www.infra-nat.eu). An extended database of each countrys bridge population is developed through a data collection form and allows for a detailed exposure model of the bridge network to be compiled. By considering the general characteristics of the bridge population, a representative sample of bridges is chosen to develop fragility functions for bridges exposed to seismic hazard. The connectivity of the network is modelled and the entire bridge network vulnerability is considered in a more comprehensive and global manner for seismic hazard and infrastructure ageing. The scope of this work is to provide practical web-based tools and databases for each country with which more informed decisions can be made related to the most vulnerable parts of the country and where resources should be invested for increased resilience.