Review of the fire risk, hazard, and thermomechanical response of bridges in fire

Abstract

Resilient design requires information about a structure’s response to a variety of exposures such that systems can be implemented to prevent unacceptable losses. For the case of critical infrastructure like bridges, losses associated with structural damage and traffic closures from fire events can be substantial. Despite this, there are no specific code requirements for bridge fire safety in different national jurisdictions, particularly in North America and Europe, and only minimal guidance available for establishing the fire resistance requirements of bridges. Research into the fire safety of bridges is ongoing but knowledge gaps persist that limit practitioners’ ability to conduct performance-based fire designs using the latest state of existing research. This paper provides a first-stage state of the art review of bridge fire research conducted to date in effort to summarize key findings and make available the most relevant information for researcher and practitioner use. The key research themes considered as subdivisions are fire hazard and risk assessment, bridge fire scenario modelling, and the structural response of steel and composite steel-concrete, cable-supported, concrete, and fiber reinforced polymer bridges to fire. The authors conclude the study with identified knowledge gaps and priority research areas.