Understanding of Bridge Vulnerability to Climate Change Enables Pro-active Adaptation Measures
In the past few decades, climate change has been leading to more severe extreme weather (e.g., hurricanes and heat waves), quicker sea-level rise, and more frequent flooding in coastal regions. Bridges in coastal regions are vulnerable to hurricanes, sea-level rise, and flooding. To mitigate these threats, to increase the resilience of bridges, and to take pro-active adaptation measures, the overarching goal of this research project is to understand the vulnerability of highway bridges to climate change. This will inform decision-makers when they develop near-term measures and long-term plans for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. To achieve this research goal, the following three research tasks have been planned: (1) Investigate all actions of a hurricane on a highway bridge by including waves, winds and water in the computational domain through multi-phase multi-physics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, with the consideration of wind-wave interaction; (2) Determining the failure modes of the bridge system by considering loading induced by all factors, including wind pressure from winds, wave surge from waves, and varying hydrostatic force from flooding; and (3) Model structural vulnerability of bridges with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution by considering future climate change. The obtained results can be used to improve the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) code periodically to accommodate the future climate change, enhancing the resilience of bridges.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $170,000
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Contract Numbers:
69A3551747107
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Sponsor Organizations:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
Mid-America Transportation Center
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
Lincoln, NE United States 68583-0851 -
Project Managers:
Stearns, Amy
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Performing Organizations:
Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla
Department of Engineering
202 University Center
Rolla, MO 65409 -
Principal Investigators:
Yan, Guirong
- Start Date: 20210101
- Expected Completion Date: 20220630
- Actual Completion Date: 20211231
- USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
- Source Data: RiP Project 91994-87
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bridges; Climate change; Disaster resilience; Floods; Fluid dynamics; Hurricanes; Ocean waves; Risk assessment; Simulation; Wind pressure
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01762015
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
- Contract Numbers: 69A3551747107
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Jan 7 2021 1:44PM