CAREER: A Risk-Based Model to Achieve Sustainable Solutions for Bridge Infrastructure Subjected to Multiple Threats

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The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is to develop a new approach to bridge infrastructure enhancement where risks posed by multiple threats are mitigated while balancing broader goals of sustainability. Our nation's bridge infrastructure faces multiple threats, including aging and deterioration, increased demand by a growing population, and natural hazards that may become more frequent with climate change. These threats result not only in physical damage, but cascading social, environmental, and economic impacts that impair sustainability. In the proposed model, "Sustainable Solutions for Bridge Infrastructure Subjected to Multiple Threats (SSIMT)", performance goals are driven by sustainability metrics, such as energy usage, life-cycle cost, and downtime, while ensuring safety. The risk assessment tools for SSIMT are derived through an analytical research approach supported by field data, with case studies conducted with stakeholder input. First, vulnerability models will be developed to uncover the complex coupled effects of storm surge, earthquakes, aging and deterioration, and increased demands on bridge reliability. This physical vulnerability will then be related to metrics of sustainable performance for specific social, environmental, and economic impacts, ranging from safety to downtime, and from life-cycle cost to energy usage. An analytical risk-based method will be formulated to evaluate and select bridge rehabilitation strategies that simultaneously mitigate threats while promoting sustainability.The outcome of this research will be an integrative model to determine sustainable solutions for bridges exposed to multiple threats, benefitting the civil engineering practice, public at large, and new generations of students. Its application will yield bridges that are safer, more cost-effective, and require less energy or emissions throughout their lifetime. The integrated education program aims to cultivate a pipeline of diverse participants in infrastructure engineering prepared to address our nation's infrastructure deficiencies and apply the proposed SSIMT model. Context-based learning will be tested to provide students with an understanding of principles of sustainable engineering and natural hazard risk mitigation through international exchange, stakeholder interaction, and educational games. The pool of engineers and educators in infrastructure engineering will be diversified by recruiting and retaining underrepresented students through mentoring and research experiences. Through these new educational materials, practices, and unique exchange experiences, a pipeline of next generation civil engineers will be prepared with the sustainable engineering concepts, multi-disciplinary teaming, and contextual sensitivity needed to tackle one of our nation?s biggest challenges--safeguarding our critical infrastructure.