Equitable Restoration Strategies for Bridge and Road Infrastructure Networks after Hurricanes in Coastal Communities
For low-lying coastal communities, hurricane-induced hazards, especially storm surge, often represent the greatest threat. Major hurricanes result in large casualties, enormous property damage, and severe socio-economic disruption. Lifeline infrastructure systems, including bridge and roadway networks, are not immune to such devastating consequences of hurricanes. The diminished functionality of bridge and roadway networks, as a result of wind and water damage, directly impedes the entire hurricane recovery process. The essential role of bridge and roadway networks in hurricane response is evident: the distribution of disaster supplies from federal and state emergency management agencies depends on functioning roadways and bridges; affected residents also need reliable transportation to access essential services, such as healthcare, grocery, and employment. Therefore, it is widely recognized that effective planning for bridge and roadway network restoration and associated resource allocation to different regions is a critical task to ensure a rapid recovery of coastal communities in the aftermath of hurricanes. The primary goal is to develop a tool to evaluate community resilience in terms of the ability to access critical services following hurricanes and provide a decision-making framework to integrate equity into bridge and road networks restoration activities after hurricanes. The post-hurricane recovery of bridge and road infrastructure networks is crucial for the recovery of other systems within communities. Substantial research has been conducted to advance related literature, including various optimization methods for selecting, sequencing, and scheduling roadway repair projects while accounting for material and human resource constraints. However, a significant research gap remains in the consideration of equity across different population groups or geographical regions. It is increasingly important to ensure all residents have comparable access to essential services and resources during hurricane recovery, regardless of socio-economic status. Recent studies have highlighted the inequitable government response to natural disasters, with underserved communities receiving less support, experiencing greater impacts, and taking longer to recover. This issue is especially important in South Florida’s most populated metropolitan area, where coastal communities are highly vulnerable to hurricane threats. Urgent research efforts are needed to ensure that bridge and road infrastructure network restoration can be conducted rapidly and equitably.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $105000
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Contract Numbers:
69A3551747121
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Sponsor Organizations:
Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC)
Florida International University
10555 W. Flagler Street
Miami, FL United States 33174Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Performing Organizations:
Florida International University
Civil and Environmental Engineering
10555 W. Flagler Street, EC 3680
Miami, FL United States 33174 -
Principal Investigators:
Guo, Qianwen
- Start Date: 20230601
- Expected Completion Date: 0
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bridge management systems; Bridges; Decision making; Disaster resilience; Equity; Highways; Hurricanes
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01889308
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC)
- Contract Numbers: 69A3551747121
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Jul 31 2023 12:00AM