Time-variant sustainability assessment of seismically vulnerable bridges subjected to multiple hazards

In the design and assessment of structures, the aspects regarding the future performance are gaining increased attention. A wide range of performance measures is covered by sustainability' to reflect these aspects. There is the need for well established methods for quantifying the metrics of sustainability. In this paper, a framework for assessing the time-variant sustainability of bridges associated with multiple hazards considering the effects of structural deterioration is presented. The approach accounts for the effects of flood-induced scour on seismic fragility. Sustainability is quantified in terms of its social, environmental, and economic metrics. These include the expected downtime and number of fatalities, expected energy waste and carbon dioxide emissions, and the expected loss. The proposed approach is illustrated on a reinforced concrete bridge. The effects of corrosion on reinforcement bars and concrete cover spalling are accounted. The seismic fragility curves at different points in time are obtained through nonlinear finite element analyses. The variation of the metrics of sustainability in time is presented. The effects of flood-induced scour on both seismic fragility and metrics are also investigated. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.