Assessment of Engineering Adaptations to Extreme Events and Climate Change for a Simply Supported Interstate Bridge over a Shallow Estuary: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 12
Abstract
There have been many cases of failures of interstate bridges during hurricanes due to the tremendous hydrodynamic loads imposed on them from waves on storm surge. Several adaptations have been suggested by others to increase a bridge’s survivability, but to date there have been no widespread, in-depth studies on the effectiveness of adaptation measures. This case study investigated four adaptation measures (strengthened connections, deck continuity, improved hydrodynamic shape, and combinations of measures including increased elevation) for a selected bridge and storm scenario. A detailed analysis was performed including a complex hydrodynamic analysis and a complete load-path analysis to determine the loads and response of the structure. One of the key findings of this analysis was that, even with strengthened connections, the structure would fail due to negative bending in the girders and deck. The results indicate that the only adaptation that ensures the survival of the structure is increased elevation; however, a combination of adaptation measures does increase resilience and may prove to be an effective option with more research and careful analysis.
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Acknowledgments
Support from the FHWA (Grant DTFH6114F00008) through ICF International is gratefully acknowledged. The conclusions in this paper are solely those of the authors.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 12 • December 2018
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 9, 2017
Accepted: May 28, 2018
Published online: Oct 11, 2018
Published in print: Dec 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Mar 11, 2019
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