Development of a Model for Assessing the Seismic Reliability of Bridges to Enhance Their Resilience

Abstract

Bridges are essential elements of transportation networks due to their strategic role and their vulnerability to natural and man-made hazards, particularly earthquakes, which can lead to partial or total service interruptions. This study proposes an improved model for assessing the seismic reliability of reinforced concrete bridges before a seismic event to enhance their resilience and improve disaster preparedness. In the first step, factors influencing reliability were identified based on a literature review and expert opinions. Next, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determine the relative weight of each factor, and a Seismic Reliability Index (RSI) was calculated by combining these weights with bridge-specific data. The model proposes three levels of reliability: low, medium, and high. It was applied to several bridges located in seismic zones in Algeria. Finally, this study presents and discusses the main results obtained, highlighting their usefulness for decision-makers in infrastructure resilience improvement strategies.