Protection of our bridge infrastructure against man-made and natural hazards

Blast mitigation research on a series of bridge components to date has shown both similarities and differences between seismic events and explosive loads in terms of structural response. Similarities on the load side include the fact that both blast and earthquake loads are largely unknown in terms of location, magnitude, intensity, type, etc., and both have characteristics of rapid attenuation with distance from the source mechanism. In terms of consequences, both actions can result in progressive structural collapse, requiring redundant structural systems for mitigation. Significant differences in these two extreme event scenarios also exist; these include load duration and associated strain rate effects and the extent of initial damage or excitation. The similarities and differences between blast and seismic hazards and their responses are explored in a series of blast mitigation field tests, laboratory tests, and computational analyses to form the basis for multi-hazard mitigation in bridge structures.