Network-Level Risk-Based Framework for Optimal Bridge Adaptation Management Considering Scour and Climate Change

Abstract

Transportation networks, as an essential ingredient of civil infrastructure, are subjected to various natural hazards over their service life. Failure of bridges may severely disrupt the serviceability of transportation networks, causing considerable economic and social losses. Recently, climate change has been found to be liable for the increasing bridge vulnerability due to intensification of extreme hydrologic events (e.g., floods, sea level rise, and hurricanes). With the limited resources for infrastructure management and the growing risk compounded by climate change, effective risk-informed management for bridge adaptation actions is imperative for the safety and serviceability of transportation networks. This paper formulates a network-level, risk-based framework that determines the optimal adaptation schedules for bridges in a transportation network considering climate change effects. Bridge scour, one of the most common failure modes for bridges under floods, is investigated. The proposed framework (1) evaluates the consequences of bridge failure at the transportation network level, (2) considers climate change effects related to bridge scour using hydrologic modeling under different climate change scenarios, and (3) investigates the effects of budget availability and risk perception on the decision-making process. The proposed framework is demonstrated using an existing highway bridge network located in the Lehigh River watershed in Pennsylvania.