Security
The FHWA bridge and tunnel safety and security program seeks to document solutions for protecting critical highway infrastructure and for reducing risk from intentional or related multi-threats.
Bridge and tunnel safety is achieved by providing and maintaining a facility that meets Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) standards for strength, service, function, and operation. Security and resilience are two additional characteristics that can also enhance safety.
A secured facility is one that is protected against intentional hazards such as fire, blast, or other sabotage; a resilient facility absorbs any credible hazard, survives, recovers, and returns to function.
The FHWA program components include:
- Research and development
- Sharing of bridge and tunnel owner experiences and good practices through case studies and similar materials
- Deployment of training
Documents
- Redundancy in Long-Span Bridge for Risk Mitigation in a Multi Hazard Environment
- Implementation of Crash Simulation Technology to Develop Countermeasures Strategies for Overheight Impact Protection System on Concrete Girders
- TechBrief: Possible Methodology for Probabilistic Assessment of Bridge Safety Against Vehicular Collisions
- Bridge Security Design: Overview, Practice, & Future Needs – Course Flyer
- Anti-Terrorism Planner for Bridges Fact Sheet (U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center)
- Primer on Impact Protection for Critical Transportation Infrastructure (December, 2018)
- Multiyear Plan for Bridge and Tunnel Security Research, Development, and Deployment
- Blue Ribbon Panel on Bridge and Tunnel Security (.pdf, 1 mb)
- Cable-Stay Strand Residual Strength Related to Security Threats (January, 2018)
- Steel Truss Retrofits to Provide Alternate Load Paths for Cut, Damaged, Or Destroyed Members (November, 2020)