01553177

Component

The major threat to bridges all over the world stems from extreme flooding and associated local scouring, which may jeopardize the bridges’ stability and eventually cause failures. The bridge management systems need to consider this hazard in order to provide the fast screening of bridges exposed to local scour and identify ones which are particularly endangered by a given, perhaps oncoming flood. To this end the methodology for quantitative vulnerability assessment is suggested. The relevant bridge failure modes are considered and the necessary parameters to compute their probability of occurrence are identified. Applying the upper bound theorem of the limit analysis on the soil-bridge models, the scour cavity extent which can result in bridge failure with certain probability has been determined. Given the scour cavity extent is a function of time the probability of bridge failure is consequently also a function of time. This information can be particularly useful in emergency planning. The analysis is based on the pragmatic modeling of the local scour action at a pier considering combined response of a supporting soil and a bridge structure. The scope of the research is set on the reinforced concrete multiple span girder bridges with piers on shallow foundations. The research confirms that the resistance of the soil-bridge system must not be neglected in the vulnerability assessment of bridges exposed to local scour.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHD30 Structures Maintenance.

01550057

15-5805

English

16p

2015

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References

Bridge management systems; Bridge piers; Failure; Floods; Girder bridges; Reinforced concrete bridges; Risk assessment; Scour; Soil structure interaction

Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I42: Soil Mechanics

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-5805

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 30 2014 1:56PM