Bridge Damage and Repair Costs from Hurricane Katrina
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 13, Issue 1
Abstract
Hurricane Katrina caused significant damage to the transportation system in the Gulf Coast region. The overall cost to repair or replace the bridges damaged during the hurricane is estimated at over $1 billion. This paper describes the observed damage patterns to bridges, including damage attributed to storm surge, wind, impact from debris, scour, and water inundation, as well as examples of repair measures used to quickly restore functionality to the bridges and transportation system. Using the data from the 44 bridges that were damaged, relationships between storm surge elevation, damage level, and repair costs are developed. The analysis reveals that, in general, regions with higher storm surge had more damage, although there were several instances where this was not the case, primarily due to damage resulting from debris impact. It is also shown that a highly nonlinear relationship exists between the normalized repair cost and the damage state. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the efficacy of using typical seismic design details for mitigating the effects of hurricane loads, and potential design considerations for bridge structures in vulnerable coastal regions.
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Acknowledgments
The reconnaissance was supported by the American Society of Civil Engineers Technical Lifelines Council for Earthquake Engineering (TCLEE) and the Mid-America Earthquake Center through the Earthquake Engineering Research Center’s program of the National Science Foundation under Award No. NSFEEC-9701785. The writers wish to express their gratitude to the Department of Transportation Officials in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 13 • Issue 1 • January 2008
Pages: 6 - 14
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 18, 2006
Accepted: Sep 18, 2006
Published online: Jan 1, 2008
Published in print: Jan 2008
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