Abstract Seismic structural assessment of masonry arch bridges is essential due to their cultural, economic and strategic importance and vulnerability. A realistic and rigorous structural assessment is necessary in order to protect the bridges and use resources carefully. At this time, there are no standardised or widely accepted assessment procedures, and the performance criteria for masonry arch

Abstract Numerous physical models using frequency-independent elements have been developed to reproduce impedance functions for the purposes of time-domain soil–foundation interaction analysis. Most of the models have been developed to simulate homogeneous soils. However, the physical models developed in past research for layered soils are mostly focused on surface foundations only. Accordingly, this

Abstract Ageing structures located in moderate to high seismicity regions are exposed to multiple natural stressors during their lifetime. Large earthquake events coupled with environmental aggressive agents increase the progressive failure probability of these structures. The accumulated damage during the main earthquake event might be exacerbated by its following aftershocks. This might result in

Abstract Structural deterioration due to environmental and mechanical stressors is a major concern for civil and marine structures. Inspection actions can reduce uncertainties, facilitate decision-making on maintenance, and in general assist life-cycle management. Risk-based inspection (RBI) planning is a useful tool to minimize life-cycle cost while preserving safety margin of structures. This paper

Abstract Network-scale maintenance planning mainly depends on the expected improvement in a structure’s condition following an intervention. Quantifying the effect of interventions is commonly based on either the expert judgement and reference values, or ad hoc estimation from visual inspection data. However, visual inspections are subjective and have large variability over time due to the inspectors’

Abstract The transportation network resiliency plays a significant role in reducing the devastating impacts of a disaster. This paper develops a mathematical model to improve the resilience of road–bridge transportation networks in the recovery phase. The model consists of two objective functions. The first objective function minimises total recovery time, and the second one prioritises damaged bridges

Abstract The present study focuses on the effects of wind yaw angle and pylon interference on the buffeting responses of bridge decks during construction. Two typical cable-stayed bridges with rhombus pylons (RPs) and single-column pylons (SPs) in the maximum double cantilever state were selected as research objectives. The influence of the wind yaw angle and pylon interference on the lateral, vertical

Abstract Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sewer pipes have operated for decades in a hostile environment, raising concern among sewer managers over the longevity of their drainage systems. Inspection data (CCTV and Panoramo®) reveals that severe defects have already surfaced, yet it is unknown if the material properties of PVC sewers have been affected. In order to address this issue, extensive testing (among

Abstract This paper discusses the uncertainty when estimating extreme values of wind-induced lateral accelerations in a high-rise building based on wind-tunnel measurements. The acceleration signals for an aeroelastic scale model under ten different velocities and three different wind angles were processed to evaluate the extreme acceleration values. The empirical cumulative distribution function (CDF)

Abstract This paper presents a multi-tier methodology for understanding the cascading impacts of hazards on the internal operations of a facility. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is utilized to create a 3D representation of a facility where each building element is linked with its design, operation, and maintenance data. The building data stored inside BIM is processed by the interdependency model

Abstract Rapidly growing societal needs in urban areas are increasing the demand for tall buildings with complex structural systems. Many of these buildings are located in areas characterized by high seismicity. Quantifying the seismic resilience of these buildings requires comprehensive fragility assessment that integrates iterative nonlinear dynamic analysis (NDA). Under these circumstances, traditional

Abstract Scour is one of the main causes of bridge failures resulting in significant macro-economic impacts, often beyond the direct costs of infrastructure damage. Given the pressure to increase the resilience of transport networks, ageing bridge infrastructure, constrained budgets, variable knowledge of asset conditions and limited data, mixed ownership and operation of bridges, and concerns about

Abstract Despite extensive research in the field of human-induced vibration in the last twenty years, there is still lack of reliable load and response models to assess vibration serviceability of footbridges under human-induced excitation, especially with reference to crowded conditions. This paper aims to provide a reliable characterization of pedestrian-induced loading on footbridges in restricted

Abstract The benefit of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can be properly quantified using the concept of Value of Information (VoI), which is, applied to an SHM case, the difference between the utilities of operating the structure with and without the monitoring system. The aim of this contribution is to demonstrate that, in a decision-making process where two different individuals are involved in

Abstract Numerous bridges are exposed to increasingly frequent and intense extreme events due to climate change, while serving more traffic than originally designed due to population growth. Thus, predictive maintenance of bridges is of paramount importance for securing structural safety and bridge network reliability. However, the application of predictive maintenance for networks of bridges, considering

Abstract To improve the crack-resisting behavior of normal-strength concrete (NC) bridge deck and to reduce the deadweight of conventional steel-concrete composite girders, a new steel-ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) continuous composite box girder was proposed. Aiming to reveal the static behavior of the proposed structure, including the load-deflection response, the strain distribution, the

Abstract A new method is proposed to obtain the equivalent static forces of a vehicle collision with bridge columns. The method is based on energy-conservation and, conversely to other existing methods, does not require the use of complex models or experimental data to obtain time histories of impact. A simplified numerical model is also developed to generate data and compare the performance of the

Abstract In this paper, the seismic mitigation effect of self-centering tension-only brace (SCTB) and bidirectional force bearing self-centering brace (SCBB) are compared through the seismic fragility evaluation method. The structural configurations, hysteretic curves of SCBBs and SCTBs are summarised. Besides, the numerical models of SCBB and the SCTB are developed, which are verified based on experimental

Abstract A challenging task in earthquake engineering is investigation of engineering demand parameters under regional records of large earthquakes due to inherently low frequency of these events. Use of simulated records in such cases is a recent alternative. Ground motion simulations were traditionally performed to model physical processes in earthquake occurrences. Nowadays, simulations are also

Abstract The rigid-frame bridges with a fully continuous moment connection between the superstructure and substructure piers are suitable for high-seismic regions; however, research on the response of these bridge types under tsunami loads is limited. This paper presents a framework for developing fragility functions of coastal rigid-frame bridges, and bridges with strong pier-to-deck connectivity

Abstract Bridges are frequently subjected to permit loads. While deciding on permitting such loads, bridge owners usually adopt a tiered approach for structural analysis, assessment, and measurement. Under these complexities of decision-making, the owner can decide to adopt structural health monitoring (SHM) strategies in guiding the issuance of permits. A value of information (VoI) framework can be

Abstract Due to continuous population expansion and the threat of climate change, the past century has witnessed increasing occurrences of natural hazards, leading to significant global losses and requiring substantial restoration efforts. This issue challenges decision makers to act in a timely and effective manner to protect infrastructure systems from future natural hazards. This study presents

Abstract In this research, the response of high voltage transmission towers under wind load patterns is discussed from the point of view of structural reliability. The paper focuses the attention on the response of two existing tension towers that are part of the 400 kV circuit at the perimeter of Mexico City. Two hundred nonlinear pushover analyses were carried out in detailed models in order to study

Abstract The dynamic component of bridge traffic loading is commonly taken into account with a Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF)—the ratio between the dynamic and static load effects on a bridge. In the design codes, this factor is generally more conservative than in reality. Recently a new method of calculation of this factor had been developed. Data from 15 different bridges have been analysed since

Abstract For practical decisions on common recurring maintenance actions, the information from routine inspections form a decision basis for the bridge manager. It is often difficult to assess whether this information is sufficient for deciding on a repair action, or if more information is needed. For many bridges the information for supporting decisions may be limited, although those bridges cause

Abstract A formulation to assess a breakwater damage probability and to select the optimal maintenance strategy is presented and illustrated with a case study in Mexico. The formulation includes the calculation of annual and lifetime exceedance damage probabilities, the cost of damage/failure consequences, epistemic uncertainty and information on port logistics. The limit-state corresponds to the stability

Abstract Mode shapes are sensitive to the structural condition of bridges but a reasonable estimate of such changes require several accelerometers, which can be resource intensive. This paper obviates this problem through a novel structure health monitoring (SHM) approach for estimating modal parameters of bridges, including damage-induced changes of boundary conditions by using progressively re-deploying

Abstract This paper investigated the flexural behavior of large-scale damaged reinforced concrete (RC) bridge slab strengthened with the ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) layer at the tensile side. The RC slabs were preloaded under flexure to introduce cracks. The pre-damage degree was evaluated using the crack width at the highest load. Then, two types of interface technique of the RC substrate

Abstract Existing bridge performance metrics are limited in their ability to objectively reflect the safety and serviceability of bridges and identify effective Maintenance, Repair and Replacement (MR&R) actions for a large number of bridges in the face of budget constraints. This study presents a comprehensive optimal budget allocation framework with an integer linear programing formulation for a

Abstract Judging the state of a bridge based on SHM observations is an inference process, which should be rationally carried out using a logical approach. However, it is often observed that real-life decision makers depart from this ideal model of rationality, judge and decide using common sense, and privilege fast and frugal heuristics to rational analytic thinking. For instance, confusion between

Abstract The economic and social losses due to increasing bridges collapse over the years have underlined the importance of the development of more robust bridge structural systems when exposed to harmful events, such as natural hazards, human-made hazards and human errors. Natural and human-made hazards are usually explicitly addressed in the numerous works available in the literature, but when it

Abstract The use of laser scanning in the realm of bridge assessment has been primarily limited to measuring large bridge dimensions. Given the scale of these measurements compared to standard accuracy metrics for LiDAR sensors, it follows that they may be captured with relatively small errors (<1%). This paper explores LiDAR’s capacity to (a) estimate smaller cross-section dimensions of an operating

Abstract Judging the state of a bridge based on SHM observations is an inference process, which should be rationally carried out using a logical approach. However, it is often observed that real-life decision makers depart from this ideal model of rationality, judge and decide using common sense, and privilege fast and frugal heuristics to rational analytic thinking. For instance, confusion between

Abstract The economic and social losses due to increasing bridges collapse over the years have underlined the importance of the development of more robust bridge structural systems when exposed to harmful events, such as natural hazards, human-made hazards and human errors. Natural and human-made hazards are usually explicitly addressed in the numerous works available in the literature, but when it

Abstract The use of laser scanning in the realm of bridge assessment has been primarily limited to measuring large bridge dimensions. Given the scale of these measurements compared to standard accuracy metrics for LiDAR sensors, it follows that they may be captured with relatively small errors (<1%). This paper explores LiDAR’s capacity to (a) estimate smaller cross-section dimensions of an operating

Abstract This paper aims to detect and locate damage in an innovative slab-on-girder pedestrian bridge model using the vibration characteristics determined from a combined experimental–numerical procedure. The innovative slab-girder pedestrian bridge model has a bi-layer composite deck with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer as the bottom layer and laminated glass as the top layer to exploit the desirable

Abstract The post-earthquake fire (PEF) phenomenon occasionally causes more severe damage than the earthquake itself. In order to investigate the fire-resistance performance of concrete columns, the earthquake damage of concrete structure are defined into three types: cracks, spalling, and residual deformation by earthquake disaster data and seismic experiments. Next, earthquake-damaged models of RC

Abstract Recent advances have enabled the use of modern remote sensing technologies to create high-resolution 3 D point clouds that capture the in-situ geometry of infrastructure systems. However, there is a need for new methods of analyzing and leveraging these complex data types. In this paper, the authors present an approach to quantifying textural deterioration and surficial damages manifested

Abstract Due to the frequent occurrence of natural disasters and terrorist attacks, research on resisting progressive collapse has attracted increasing attention from the engineering and academic communities. Numerous experimental studies conducted in recent decades have focussed on single-story 3D structures; however, there are many differences between single-story 3D structures and multistory 3D

Abstract The search for a bona fide robustness index to quantify the system performance upon unexpected disturbances has been a continuous research effort. Previous studies have largely neglected to reflect the damage evolution feature of a progressive collapse failure. To bridge this important knowledge gap, this paper presents a novel risk-based robustness index for structures prone to disproportionate

Abstract The presence of rigid central clamps (RCCs) minimises the damage potential of short suspenders and expansion joints in in-service long-span suspension bridges. The study presented in this paper evaluated the impact of the presence of RCCs on the longitudinal deformation of a long-span suspension bridge under live load with vehicle braking and random traffic flow excitations. Two finite element

Abstract One of the most important components of an electrical substation is its power transformer, but this component is vulnerable to earthquakes. Several studies have demonstrated the good potential of base isolation to improve the seismic resistance of transformers. However, cost-effectiveness of a base isolation system is as important to the managers of a power grid as its isolation efficiency

Abstract Multiple pipeline failures in water distribution systems (WDS) caused by natural hazards such as earthquakes can significantly reduce the functionality of the systems. After a natural disaster, a quick recovery of WDS is desirable to ensure that critical facilities have access to clean water. However, experience from recent disasters has shown that the recovery period for WDS can be long.

Abstract Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology has found its way into several civilian applications in the last 20 years, predominantly due to lower cost and tangible scientific improvements. In its application to structural bridge inspection, UAVs provide two main functions. The first, being the most common, detect damage through visual sensors. The 2 D image data can be used to quickly establish

Abstract Condition assessment of aging infrastructure is a growing concern all over the world. A systematic performance assessment is a pre-requisite for effective asset and infrastructure management. Accordingly, this article develops an integrated approach for the performance assessment of the municipal infrastructure. The main objectives are to develop an approach to assess, measure, and combine

Abstract Bridge collapses in Turkey have not been the subject of any comprehensive study so far. Investigations are often kept confidential for various reasons. As a result, most of the time only limited information can be found about these collapses with some exceptions such as the 1999 Arifiye Bridge collapse due to seismic event and the 2012 Çaycuma bridge collapse due to pier scour. Both resulted

Abstract Bridge bearings easily suffer damage when exposed to various loading and environmental changes during their lifetime. This effect can have a considerable impact on the bridge service performance, and bearing replacement should be performed if damage occurs. Compared with highway bridges, bearing replacement for long-span bridges under operating high-speed railways (HSRs) is more challenging

Abstract Optimization of the duration of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) campaigns is rarely performed. This article provides a utility-based solution to posteriorly determine: i) optimal monitoring durations and ii) the extension of the service life of the welds on a steel bridge deck. The approach is illustrated with a case study focusing on remaining fatigue life estimation of the welds on the

Abstract The management of civil infrastructures in the aftermath of a seismic event is a concern for decision makers, which have to choose quickly among alternative actions with limited knowledge on the actual structural conditions. The availability of real time Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) data on the asset might be particularly useful. However, SHM data are not collected for free, and the

Abstract Scour has been recognized as one of the leading causes of bridge collapse in the United States. Therefore, it is essential to be able to build models that accurately capture the response of bridges vulnerable to scour, including those located in layered rather than homogeneous soil deposits. Simple removal of soil springs due to scour ignores the effect of stress history for layered soils

Abstract This paper investigates the assessment of corrosion effects on the performance of the composite bridge caused by chloride ions during the service life depending on Cellular Automata (CA) and Finite Element Method (FEM). It also provided a detailed guide to evaluate the performance of existing bridges. Firstly, the diffusion of chloride ions process in the bridge deck is simulated based on

Abstract Structural health monitoring (SHM) projects are mostly based on semi-empirical decisions, emphasising the importance of the structure and lacking a rational comparison of the benefits and costs. The present work offers guidance to overcome this, based on an objective framework using the quantification of the value of SHM in an engineering context. Firstly, procedures for practising engineers

Abstract Significant research efforts have been recently invested towards the evaluation of chloride-induced deterioration effects on the seismic vulnerability of aging highway bridges. Furthermore, when located in coastal cities with increased urbanisation or near shipyards, bridge structures may also be subjected to potentially high levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Consequently, the physicochemical

Abstract The in-service sea-crossing bridge handles a large number of vehicles, while considerable wind exists on the superstructure and wave exists on the substructure simultaneously, on a daily basis. Apart from the service loads, the bridges may also encounter extreme natural hazards such as earthquake, hurricane, etc., which might greatly threaten the structural safety. In particular, this article

Abstract Spatial variability and limited measurements often result in low reliability estimates of geotechnical failure modes of dikes (i.e., earthen flood defences). Required dike reinforcements are usually not executed within a few years after inception, which enables efforts to improve reliability estimates by reducing uncertainty. Often decision makers are unclear on whether uncertainty reduction

Abstract The assessment of existing road bridges as parts of infrastructure networks is required in consideration of their deterioration and age. Advanced monitoring and management tools are mainly used for landmark bridges while the decision making process for small to medium bridges, which constitute the majority of the bridge network, mainly relies on condition assessment based on experience and

Abstract Structural inspection often requires slowing down the traffic during the operation by limiting the number of passing vehicles or deviating the traffic. One of the possible inspection techniques is by laser scanning. Because of the high cost of use and data treatment, the laser technique is mainly applied either in specific structures or structures with a specific behaviour. The fact that all

Abstract Facing the contradiction between increasing maintenance demand and limited financial, as well as smaller social and environmental impacts, the optimisation of bridge maintenance strategies should be carried out. In this paper, the assessment model of four objectives, including the safety performance, economic, social and environmental impacts, in sustainability criteria are proposed. Moreover

Abstract The uninterrupted functioning of our energy infrastructure is crucial to the operation of modern day society. Thus, the energy infrastructure we construct today must be capable of supplying reliable power in our future climate. This may require development of effective and financially viable climate change adaptation actions. This is challenging for energy infrastructure for a number of reasons

Abstract The uninterrupted functioning of our energy infrastructure is crucial to the operation of modern day society. Thus, the energy infrastructure we construct today must be capable of supplying reliable power in our future climate. This may require development of effective and financially viable climate change adaptation actions. This is challenging for energy infrastructure for a number of reasons