Quantifying a Bridge’s Structural Resilience

Abstract

In this paper, a method is proposed for rating and quantifying a bridge’s structural resilience. The proposed method specifically focuses on the relationship between a bridge’s resilience and its structural inputs. To demonstrate the application of the proposed approach, four distinct bridges are chosen for a comparative case study. Each bridge falls into a category with varying combinations of high and low sufficiency and resilience ratings. Resilience ratings are calculated for each bridge and compared with their sufficiency ratings to demonstrate that high sufficiency is not indicative of high resilience. This paper provides an objective, yet adaptable, framework that owners can use to organize their resilience measurements. While not completely unbiased, this approach allows for a less biased assessment of the relative resilience of assets, and further justifies funding allocations or requests. The resiliency rating framework calibrates a bridge’s resilience specifically to its structural configuration. Application of the framework is demonstrated for four different bridges, and is outlined so future users can easily adopt, adapt, and calibrate to meet their specific needs.