PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-07-0016
Project Name:	Improving the Seismic Resilience of the Federal-Aid Highway System
Status:	Active
Contact:	Last Name: Yen First Name: Wen-Huei P (Phil) Telephone: 202-493-3056 E-mail: wen-huei.yen@dot.gov
Organization:	Federal Highway Administration - Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Team:	Hazard Mitigation Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap
Project Description:	Resilience is now expected by the traveling public as an integral component of any design strategy. Life-safety is also expected to ensure rapid recovery and minimal impact on the socioeconomic fabric of modern society. This realization has led to the concept of performance-based seismic design, which is a relatively new development in the design and construction of transportation infrastructure. This research is to study the seismic resilience of highway systems with a view to improving the performance of transportation systems subject to major earthquakes. Under this project, a comprehensive assessment tool to measure highway resilience shall be developed by improving current loss estimation technologies, such as the Risks from Earthquake Damage to Roadway System; factors affecting system resilience will be identified, such as damage-tolerant bridge structures and network redundancy; design aids for curved bridges and those structures in near-fault regions will be developed; and new technologies will be developed for improving the seismic performance of bridges.
Laboratories:	Not Applicable
Start Date:	August 1, 2007
End Date:	December 31, 2013
Funding Amount:	$4,970,484.00
FHWA Program Name:	Seismic Research
Goals:	The objective of this project is to study bridge seismic resilience and develop the necessary technology to improve seismic safety of the highway system.
Project Type:	Offsite
Background Information:	Data not yet available
Test Methodology:	The study will include the enhancement of loss estimation technology for highway systems, which will encompass the customization of resilience studies of the Risks from Earthquake Damage to Roadway System; development of design guidelines for curved bridges and fragility functions for highway systems due to earthquake hazard; experimental studies on bridge model dynamic tests; a large-scale curved-girder bridge model will be tested using four portable shake tables; near-fault effects of bridge dynamic response will be studied using bridge model tests; a joint study of a full-scale bridge column will be tested to determine seismic performance by using a shake table (the goal of this task is to understand the scale effects of bridges under dynamic testing); and system resilience studies, which will involve the development of performance measures that quantify system resilience.
Other Information:	This study is a Congressionally mandated research project under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
Partners:	Data not yet available
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	Data not yet available
Expected Benefits:	Improve seismic safety and resilience of bridges.
Deliverables:	Name: General Recommendations. Product Type(s): Research report Description: Guidelines, specifications, and examples for seismic design and retrofitting of bridges (December 2012). Audiences: Researchers, Bridge design professionals, Federal Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center staff, State highway agencies Secondary Audiences:
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	Data not yet available
FHWA Topics:	Roads and Bridges--Design Roads and Bridges--Emergency Response Roads and Bridges--Structures
TRT Terms:	Earthquake Resistant Design Resilience Bridge Construction Infrastructure Research Highways Retrofitting
FHWA Disciplines:	Design Structures
Subject Areas:	Bridges and other structures Design Research