Conferencia: Advancing Multi-Hazard Robustness and Risk Assessment of Existing Bridges
Rational management of aging bridge infrastructure under natural and anthropogenic hazards requires advanced methodologies that address structural robustness, risk, and resilience—from individual bridges to entire networks. This talk presents recent research developments from the University of Naples Federico II (Italy) on the multi-hazard assessment of existing bridges, combining multi-scale computational simulations with targeted experimental testing. Various approaches to nonlinear modelling (continuous vs. discontinuous, 1D vs. 2D/3D) and response analysis (static vs. dynamic) of bridge structures are explored to capture damage evolution and collapse mechanisms under extreme events such as traffic overloading, pier scour, and localised damage. Results from an extensive experimental programme on bridge girders are discussed, emphasising their role in calibrating and validating numerical models. Case studies on real bridges and portfolios illustrate practical applications and highlight critical challenges in the quantitative assessment of robustness and risk. Outputs from complementary approaches to vulnerability and risk assessment are presented to support the prioritisation of inspections, monitoring, detailed safety evaluations, and retrofit interventions for infrastructure systems exposed to multi-hazard environments.
