Optimal Risk-Based Management of Coastal Bridges Vulnerable to Hurricanes

Abstract

This paper proposes an approach for developing optimal risk-based management strategies for bridges in coastal regions. Currently, bridge management strategies in these regions are designed to limit the negative effects corrosion has on bridge performance under traffic loads. However, recent large-scale hurricanes and their associated damage to bridges have demonstrated the need to consider hurricanes when making bridge management decisions. This paper aims to develop optimal risk-based management strategies that include both repair actions to address deteriorating performance under traffic loads and retrofit actions to minimize the potential for failure during hurricanes. The proposed approach considers the uncertainties associated with hazards, and the economic, social, and environmental consequences of failure under traffic loads and hurricanes. The optimal management strategies are achieved by formulating and solving a multiobjective optimization problem. The objectives of this optimization problem include minimizing the lifecycle costs accrued due to repair and retrofit actions and minimizing the maximum risk over the lifecycle of the bridge. The proposed risk-based approach is applied to a steel girder bridge located in a hurricane-prone region.