Design Phase of Life in Coastal Bridges to Minimize Environmental Impacts and Improve Resiliency

This study investigates the vulnerability of coastal bridges along the Atlantic coast of Georgia and develops a fragility curve which describes the probability of failure such as deck unseating in terms of hurricane categories. Improved resiliency largely provides environmental benefits such as reduced construction, demolition, and/or replacement materials. This study is focused on the design phase of life and recommendations for bridge bearing connections between superstructure and substructure systems. Dowels are often used in bearing connections because they are easy to install and protected from corrosive coastal environment. They also enable the rapid construction of precast bridges, which minimize environmental impacts of construction activities. It is concluded from this study that anchor bolts are generally more effective in providing vertical uplifting resistance to hurricane-induced forces although they are more susceptible to corrosion damage. It is recommended that stainless steel bolts and precast bridge systems including dowels used in conjunction with external restrainers which optimize the sustainability performance of coastal bridges be considered.