@article {bnh-8016, title = {Enhancing resilience of critical road structures: bridges, culvers and floodways under natural hazards {\textendash} final project report}, number = {671}, year = {2021}, month = {05/2021}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {MELBOURNE}, abstract = {

Bridges, culverts and floodways are lifeline road structures and part of road networks, which have a significant role in ensuring resilience of a community before, during and after a natural disaster. Historical data demonstrates that the failure of road structures can have catastrophic consequences on a community affected by disaster due to the impact on evacuation and post disaster recovery.\  The main objective of the project is to understand the vulnerability of critical road structures: bridges, culverts and floodways under natural hazards of flood, bush fire and earthquakes. Once the level of vulnerability is established, the evaluation of importance of the structures for prioritization for hardening is important for decision making by road authorities.

The project funded by the BNH CRC addressed the above gap in knowledge through a comprehensive research program undertaken in collaboration with three research partners and six end user partners. In the first stage of the project, major failure scenarios and the consequences of failure were identified as a precursor for a focused research program on vulnerability modelling and prioritization of road structures under natural hazards. The research conducted included assessment of vulnerability of road bridges under flood, bush fire and earthquakes and floodways and culverts under flood. Further, three approaches were used to identify the consequences of failure of road structures under natural hazards: economic impact on the closure of structures on the community, prioritization of structures using analytical techniques and post disaster social, economic and environmental impacts of failure of road structures.

Major findings of the research include identification of the levels of hazard exposure which could lead to failure of structures and the other parameters affecting failure. Further, methods of modeling road structures under different loading regimes has been developed with case studies of typical structures. New design approaches for building back better have been proposed for floodway structures based on parametric analysis of typical types of floodways.

Major findings of the analysis of bridges under flood loading include (a) the current design process in the design standards for log and object impact are unconservative and rigorous analysis is recommended (b) when the flood velocity is over 4 m/s and the flood level reaches the soffit of the bridge deck, the failure probability of the bridge decks are very high. (c) particle size near the bridge pier foundations have a significant impact on the scour of bridge piers and placement of irregular shaped crushed rock at river-bed level can reduce the scour failure. Research conducted on impact of bush fires on composite structures indicated that the shear failure of the web of the girders is the major failure mode. Under earthquake loading, a major finding is that in the areas where peak ground acceleration is over 0.08g, girder bridges could have a high failure probability and a risk mitigation strategy is essential.

Three different tools are developed for determining the impact of failure of road structures considering economic as well as social, environmental and economic impacts.

A major utilisation outcome of the project is a resilient floodway design guide, published in collaboration with the Institution of Public Works Engineers Australia (Qld) (IPWEAQ). A utilisation project is currently in progress jointly funded by the IPWEAQ and BNH CRC. The guide has been reviewed by the IPWEAQ and is currently being revised by the researchers to enable uptake by local council Engineers. An asset management and vulnerability modeling tool for bridges has been developed for the DoT Victoria (formerly known as VicRoads) where the bridges prone to significant damage are highlighted in a GIS map of the road network.

There are two different models developed to evaluate the consequences of the failure of road structures: first considering economic impact of detour required and a second model capturing post disaster social environmental and economic impact of failure of road structures. The first tool has been incorporated into the vulnerability modeling GIS platform developed for \ the DoT, Victoria.

In addition to the above deliverables in the BNH CRC project, two subsidiary projects were undertaken to understand the effect of cyclonic events on bridge structures and also resilience of timber bridges under natural disasters.

The research team is working with the end users to socialize the vulnerability modeling and decision-making tools developed to enable optimized decision making to enhance resilience of road structures under natural hazards. This is currently being continued with direct funding from the DoT, Victoria.

}, keywords = {Bridge, critical, culvert, enhancing, Floodway, Natural hazards, resilience, road, structure}, issn = {671}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Priyan Mendis and Karu Karunasena and Kevin Zhang and Dilanthi Amaratunga and Weena Lokuge and Nilupa Herath and Long Shi and Hessam Mohseni and Huu Tran and Kanishka Atapattu} } @article {bnh-5620, title = {Analysis of design standards and applied loads on road structures under extreme events}, number = {480}, year = {2019}, month = {06/2019}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This is the fourth report for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC project B8, entitled {\textquoteleft}Enhancing the Resilience of Critical Road Infrastructure: bridges, culverts and flood-ways under natural hazards{\textquoteright}. The work presented here addresses milestone 3.2.2 {\textquotedblleft}Analysis of design standards completed{\textquotedblright} and 3.2.3 {\textquotedblleft}Draft report 4{\textendash} Loads applied on structures under extreme events (flood, earthquake, fire){\textquotedblright}, which are due on 30 December 2015. Thus, this draft report will be reviewed and refined through the input of the external stakeholders, in particular Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR), VicRoads, RMS (NSW) and the Lockyer Valley Regional Council (LVRC).
The following draft report presents an analysis of relevant design codes in regards to bridges, culverts and flood-ways design considerations under natural hazards (earthquake, flood and bushfire). Although effort has been made to include major design codes, the main focus of the practice code analysis has been Australian codes, major American codes and European codes. Section 5 also discusses the strengthening methods for reinforced concrete members under natural hazards.

}, keywords = {applied loads, engineering, extreme weather, resilience, structure}, issn = {480}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-6126, title = {Enhancing resilience of critical road infrastructure annual report 2018-2019}, number = {519}, year = {2019}, month = {10/2019}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The overarching aim of the proposed second stage of the project is to work closely with key stakeholders to implement the methodologies that have been developed for vulnerability modelling of road structures to priorities vulnerable structures for improvements, to quantify the cost of reconstruction and/or cost of hardening of structures, and to integrate community resilience considerations into the decision-making process.

During the last financial year, the research team has published seven peer-reviewed journal papers (5 Scimago Q1 journal papers), 13 national/international conferences papers and one technical report, while there are eight journal papers under review now.

The major research activities include the generic analysis of bridges in terms of structural analysis, community impact model for decision making on strengthening, floodway inspection methodology, and strengthening options for different hazard types and levels. A floodway inspection and maintenance framework were also developed to guide the future inspection and maintenance of those bridges, especially for those have undergone hazard events.

Four workshops and four meetings were held during the second year of Stage 2 of the project. Two workshops were held at RMIT University to discuss with end users and colleagues regarding the feedback and comments of the project progresses. One workshop was held at the University of Southern Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology, respectively. Feedbacks from these end users have largely benefited the research progress.

Four major utilization activities have been identified and are in progress.

Our next step is to focus on the remaining milestones and engaging with those end users to tailor the research direction and fulfill their urgent research needs. The final project completion report will be also submitted then for the review of BNH CRC.

}, keywords = {Emergency management, engineering, infrastructure resilience}, issn = {519}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Lihai Zhang and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-5435, title = {Enhancing resilience of critical road infrastructure: bridges, culverts and flood-ways under natural hazards Annual Report 2017-2018}, number = {466}, year = {2019}, month = {03/2019}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

During stage 1 of the project, disaster risk was understood in terms of the vulnerability of road structures, and the impacts of road failure on local communities. Stage 2 aims to enhance disaster preparedness, inform more effective responses, and ensuring that damaged structures are built back better during the recovery. In Stage 2 of this project, research will continue to apply the methods developed in Stage 1 to examine the vulnerability of categories of road structures for decision making. In addition to the assessment of structural vulnerability, a decision support framework will be developed through collaboration with other research projects of the BNH CRC such as decision making and fire modeling. The overarching aim of the proposed second stage of the project is to work closely with key stakeholders to implement the methodologies that have been developed for vulnerability modelling of road structures to priorities vulnerable structures for improvements, to quantify the cost of reconstruction and/or cost of hardening of structures, and to integrate community resilience considerations into the decisionmaking process. During the first year of Stage 2, several research objectives have been achieved, including hazard mapping for Victoria and Queensland, categorization of road structures, and floodway design process. The related methodologies are introduced below one by one.

}, keywords = {bridges, floodways, infrastructure resilience, Natural hazards}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Lihai Zhang and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-6042, title = {Dynamic Behavior of Indonesian Bridges using Interferometric Radar Technology}, journal = {Electronic Journal of Structural Engineering}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {2018}, pages = {23-29}, abstract = {

Structural deterioration of critical transport infrastructures (e.g., bridges) represents trillion dollars of transportation budget. Inspection and monitoring structural deterioration of bridge structures require an innovative method for an improved quality and accuracy of measurements. This paper presents and discusses the capabilities of the recent advanced interferomertic radar technique (IBIS-S) for remote monitoring structural vibations of bridges (e.g., displacement and natural frequency). Three case studies bridges in Indonesia were selected for field measurements. The research outcomes demonstrate the potential use of interferometric radar technology as an efficient way for structural health assessment and monitoring of bridges under operational condition.

}, keywords = {Bridge, displacement, Dynamic behavior, IBIS-S, Natural frequency}, url = {http://www.ejse.org/Archives/Fulltext/2018-1\%20Sp/2018-1-3.pdf}, author = {Maizuar Maizuar and Elisa Lumantarna and Sofi Massoud and Oktavianus Yusak and Lihai Zhang and Colin Duffield and Priyan Mendis} } @article {bnh-5216, title = {Failure mechanisms of bridge structures under natural hazards}, year = {2018}, month = {12/2018}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The report captures the major failure modes of bridges under exposure to potential natural hazards in Australia: flood, bushfire and earthquake. Attributes of bridge structures which influence failure and the typical levels of natural hazards experienced in Australia are explored. Case studies on analysis of failure of bridges have been presented which can provide input to vulnerability modelling of the bridge structures.

Analysis of case studies and literature indicated that the most common failure mechanisms of bridge structures under flood is scour, debris loading and damage to approach roads. Failure mechanisms of bridges due to bushfire are significantly affected by the construction material of bridge components. Major mechanisms of failure in reinforced concrete structures is observed to be the spalling of concrete, failure due to reduction in strength and elastic modulus of concrete and yielding of reinforcing steel. In steel bridges, when temperatures rise above 400 degrees Celsius, a rapid reduction in strength of members could lead to failure. Failure mechanisms of the bridges due to earthquake are explored using analytical methods and fragility curves have been developed using finite element modeling of a bridge structure. Deck joints have been observed to be the most vulnerable elements of girder bridges in Australia under earthquake loading. The generic methodology developed will be applied to other structural forms in future.

}, issn = {446}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-6643, title = {Floodway inspection and maintenance framework}, number = {540}, year = {2018}, month = {04/2018}, institution = {Bushfire \& Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Bridges, culverts, and floodways are vital road infrastructures for the operation of a road network. Their application may vary based on geographic and demographic features of the territory. Floodways are common in rural road networks as they provide economic and environmental friendly solutions over bridges and culverts. Floodways play a significant role in the economy of a country by connecting regional communities, farmlands and agricultural areas to city centers. For example, 48\% of total agricultural production in Australia in 2006 had been produced from regional council areas, those covering only about 6.9\% of Australia{\textquoteright}s population, 11\% of total Australian land mass and 24\% of roads in length [1]. Floodways are common in most of these rural road networks and, hence, play a vital role to distribute agricultural and farming products to highly populated city centers. Therefore, healthy operational levels of floodways are of paramount importance to maintain the continuous supply of essential commodities and the economic balance of Australia.

Floodways are different from bridges and culverts in the design and operational aspects. By definition, floodways are sections of roads which have been designed to be overtopped by floodwater during relatively low average recurrence interval (ARI) floods and are expected to return to fully serviceable level after the flood water recedes [2]. Although, floodways are designed to withstand at low flood levels, extreme natural disasters can damage these vital road infrastructures as evident from the 2011 and 2013 Queensland flood events. 58\% of floodway structures in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council (LVRC) area in Queensland, Australia, were damaged during the 2013 Queensland flood event leading to operational failures in rural road networks. Floodway damage leads to isolating regional communities and hindering the supply of agricultural products to other regions. In a post-disaster period, the long-term impacts on the community and the economy of the country depend on the speed of reestablishing the fully operational level of those floodways.

}, keywords = {Flood, Floodway, framework, maintenance}, issn = {540}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-6044, title = {Health Assessment of a Pedestrian Bridge Deck using Ground Penetrating Radar}, journal = {Electronic Journal of Structural Engineering}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {2018}, pages = {30-37}, abstract = {

Scanning concrete structures using ground penetrating radars (GPR) continues to be one of the most efficient methods for defect (i.e. crack, void and delamination) detection within concrete structures as well as detection of reinforcing bars damage due to corrosion. The aim of this study was to assess the structural health of a 45-year old pedestrian bridge deck. To achieve this, a number of experiments using a GPR system were conducted on a strong concrete floor with known construction drawings to detect cover depth and rebar orientations. After validating the GPR results through the experiments, the GPR system was used for nondestructive assessment of the pedestrian bridge deck. From the scanned results, the location and orientation of the reinforcing bar were established. In addition, the diameters of the bars was estimated by measuring the thickness of the hyperbola curves in the B-scans. The scanned output shows no signs of corrosion of reinforcement or damage of concrete in the form of delamination or cracking.

}, keywords = {Bridge, Ground Penetrating Radars, Non-Destructive Techniques, Structural Heath Assessment}, url = {https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Colin_Duffield/publication/326734315_Health_Assessment_of_a_Pedestrian_Bridge_Deck_using_Ground_Penetrating_Radar/links/5b61464baca272a2d678d7d9/Health-Assessment-of-a-Pedestrian-Bridge-Deck-using-Ground-Penetrating-Ra}, author = {Saeed Miramini and Massoud Sofi and Ahmed Aseem and Ali Baluwala and Lihai Zhang and Priyan Mendis and Colin Duffield} } @article {bnh-5164, title = {Detecting structural damage to bridge girders using radar interferometry and computational modelling}, journal = {Structural Control and Health Monitoring}, volume = {24}, year = {2017}, month = {02/2017}, abstract = {

The process for assessing the condition of a bridge involves continuously monitoring changes to the material properties, support conditions, and system connectivity throughout its life cycle. It is known that the structural integrity of bridges can be monitored by measuring their vibration responses. However, the relationship between frequency changes and structural damage is still not fully understood. This study presents a bridge condition assessment framework which integrates computational modelling and noncontact radar sensor techniques (i.e., IBIS-S) to predict changes in the natural frequencies of a bridge girder as a result of a range of parameters that govern its structural performance (e.g., elastomeric bearing stiffness, concrete compressive stiffness, and crack propagation). Using a prestressed concrete bridge in Australia as a case study, the research outcomes suggest that vibration monitoring using IBIS-S is an efficient way for detecting the degradation of elastomeric bearing stiffness and shear crack propagation in the support areas that can significantly affect the overall structural integrity of a bridge structure. However, frequency measurements have limited capability for detecting the decrease in the material properties of a bridge girder.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/stc.1985}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/stc.1985}, author = {Maizuar Maizuar and Lihai Zhang and Saeed Miramini and Priyan Mendis and Russell G Thompson} } @article {bnh-4386, title = {Enhancing the resilience of critical road infrastructure: annual project report 2016-17}, number = {311}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

In the funded first stage, the project aimed to develop vulnerability models for critical road structures: bridges, culverts and floodways under natural hazards of flood, bush fire and earthquakes. In the second stage of the project, optimized maintenance and strengthening regimes required to enhance resilience of critical road structures will be identified and a decision making tool will be developed.

During the past year, the research focused on analysis of the case studies available from end user partners and development of the methodology for vulnerability modeling of bridges and floodways under natural hazards of flood, earthquake and bushfires. Three case studies were analysed to further establish the methodology and a reliability based approach was established to account for the variability of the frequency and the intensity of disasters. A field study was undertaken to understand the economic impact due to failure of road structures during the 2011 and 2013 floods in the Lockyer Valley region in Queensland.

Three major workshops and a number of informal meetings were held during the past year with excellent participation of end users and researchers. A workshop has also been organized on 24 July 2017 to plan the work program for the second stage of the project and develop the utilization plan.

Six Ph.D candidates are progressing their research funded by APA, RMIT and IPRS scholarships. Three of the students secured CRC top up scholarships as well. One Master by research student completed in 2016 and one PhD will complete in 2017.\  Each of the four strands of the project has recruited a researcher to engage in the project and also utilized final year undergraduate projects to contribute to the research project.

Major outcomes during the past year can be summarized as development of the vulnerability modeling methodology for critical road structures exposed to extreme events and demonstration of the methodology using four case studies. This work has been published in number of journal papers and conferences and posters published in highly regarded journals and conferences. Members of the team also has been successful in winning awards for their work.\ 

}, issn = {311}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-5163, title = {Monitoring the dynamic behaviour of the Merlynston Creek Bridge using interferometric radar sensors and finite element modeling}, journal = {International Journal of Applied Mechanics}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {02/2017}, abstract = {

Bridges play an important role in economic development and bring important social benefits. The development of innovative bridge monitoring techniques will enable road authorities to optimize operational and maintenance activities for bridges. However, monitoring the dynamic behavior of a bridge requires a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the bridge and traffic loading which has not been fully achieved so far. In the present study, an integrated bridge health monitoring framework is developed using advanced 3D Finite Element modeling in conjunction with Weight-in-motion (WIM) technology and interferometric radar sensors (IBIS-S). The realistic traffic loads imposed on the bridge will be obtained through calibration and validation of traffic loading prediction model using real-time bridge dynamic behavior captured by IBIS-S and WIM data. Using the Merlynston Creek Bridge in Melbourne, Australia as a case study, it demonstrated that the proposed bridge monitoring framework can both efficiently and accurately capture the real-time dynamic behavior of the bridge under traffic loading as well as the dynamic characteristics of the bridge. The outcomes from this research could potentially enhance the durability of bridges which is an important component of the sustainability of transport infrastructure.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1142/S175882511750003X}, url = {https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S175882511750003X}, author = {Bidur Kafle and Lihai Zhang and Priyan Mendis and Nilupa Herath and Maizuar Maizuar and Colin Duffield and Russell G Thompson} } @article {bnh-5165, title = {A probabilistic study of ground motion simulation for Bangkok soil}, journal = {Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {05/2017}, pages = {1925-1943}, chapter = {1925}, abstract = {

Due to the soft soil condition, it has been found that buildings in Bangkok locating 200\ km away from epicentral of an earthquake can be damaged as a result of high ground motion (e.g. earthquakes of magnitudes 5.3{\textendash}5.9 in 1983). Because of rapid urban expansion and population growth in cities with soft soil condition, such as Bangkok, the assessment of seismic vulnerability of building structures becomes necessary. The purpose of this study is to quantify variability and develop attenuation and amplification models of ground motions for Bangkok sites. First, by analysing soil profile of Bangkok using Latin Hypercube sampling technique, critical attenuation and amplification characteristics, such as peak ground acceleration, ground motion intensity, frequency content and significant ground duration, were obtained. Then, the statistical information on the attenuation and amplification models of these characteristics was established and used to conduct a series of non-linear seismic analysis of a typical four storey commercial building in Bangkok. The research outcomes demonstrate that the developed models are capable of predicting the damage indices of buildings in Bangkok under different earthquake intensities and epicentral distances.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-016-0058-6}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs10518-016-0058-6}, author = {Nilupa Herath and Priyan Mendis and Lihai Zhang} } @article {bnh-2916, title = {An assessment of the effectiveness of tree-based models for multi-variate flood damage assessment in Australia}, journal = {Water}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {07/2016}, chapter = {282}, abstract = {

Flood is a frequent natural hazard that has significant financial consequences for Australia. In Australia, physical losses caused by floods are commonly estimated by stage-damage functions. These methods usually consider only the depth of the water and the type of buildings at risk. However, flood damage is a complicated process, and it is dependent on a variety of factors which are rarely taken into account. This study explores the interaction, importance, and influence of water depth, flow velocity, water contamination, precautionary measures, emergency measures, flood experience, floor area, building value, building quality, and socioeconomic status. The study uses tree-based models (regression trees and bagging decision trees) and a dataset collected from 2012 to 2013 flood events in Queensland, which includes information on structural damages, impact parameters, and resistance variables. The tree-based approaches show water depth, floor area, precautionary measures, building value, and building quality to be important damage-influencing parameters. Furthermore, the performance of the tree-based models is validated and contrasted with the outcomes of a multi-parameter loss function (FLFArs) from Australia. The tree-based models are shown to be more accurate than the stage-damage function. Consequently, considering more parameters and taking advantage of tree-based models is recommended. The outcome is important for improving established Australian flood loss models and assisting decision-makers and insurance companies dealing with flood risk assessment.

}, doi = {10.3390/w8070282 }, url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/8/7/282}, author = {Roozbeh Hasanzadeh Nafari and Tuan Ngo and Priyan Mendis} } @article {bnh-3116, title = {Enhancing resilience of critical road infrastructure: bridges, culverts and flood-ways under natural hazards: annual project report 2015-2016}, number = {236}, year = {2016}, month = {10/2016}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

In the funded first stage, the project aims to develop vulnerability models for critical road structures: bridges, culverts and floodways under natural hazards of flood, bush fire and earthquakes. In the second stage of the project, optimised maintenance and strengthening regimes required to enhance resilience of critical road structures will be identified and a decision making tool will be developed.

During the past year, the research focused on analysis of the case studies available from end user partners and development of the methodology for vulnerability modeling of bridges and floodways under natural hazards of flood, earthquake and bushfires. Three case studies were analysed to further establish the methodology and a reliability based approach was established to account for the variability of the frequency and the intensity of disasters. A field study was undertaken to understand the economic impact due to failure of road structures during the 2011 and 2013 floods in the Lockyer Valley region in Queensland.

Four workshops and a number of informal meetings were held during the project with excellent participation of end users and researchers. A mini-symposium held in July 2015 at RMIT University brought researchers, end users and wider stakeholders from across Australia and the UK. A stakeholder workshop held on 17 March 2016 identified end user needs and a utilisation plan was developed based on the outcomes. During the workshops, case study data were identified and the methodology for vulnerability modeling was refined. Future data needs were communicated to the end users.

Five Ph.D candidates commenced work with the research team on APA and IPRS scholarships. Three of the students secured Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC{\textquoteright}s top up scholarships as well. One Masters by research student and one PhD will complete in 2016 and 2017 respectively.\  Each of the four strands of the project has recruited a researcher to engage in the project and also utilised final year undergraduate projects to contribute to the research project.

Major outcomes during the past two years can be summarised as development of the vulnerability modeling methodology for critical road structures exposed to extreme events and demonstration of the methodology using four case studies. This work has been published in 26 Publications including 9 journal papers, 12 refereed conference papers and 5 reports. In addition, the project research team has been invited to a total number of 12 highly regarded conferences roundtables, workshops and forums to present keynote speeches, chair and co-chair panels and facilitate workshops.

}, issn = {236}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} } @article {bnh-2351, title = {Enhancing resilience of critical road infrastructure: bridges, culverts and floodways under natural hazards: Annual project report 2014-2015}, number = {144}, year = {2015}, month = {02/11/2015}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The project aims to develop vulnerability models for critical road structures: bridges, culverts and floodways under natural hazards of flood, bushfire and earthquakes. In the second stage of the project, optimized maintenance and strengthening regimes required to enhance resilience of critical road structures will be identified and a decision making tool will be developed.

During the past year, the research focused on analysis of the case studies available from end user partners and development of the methodology for vulnerability modeling of bridges and floodways under natural hazards of flood, earthquake and bushfires. A field study was undertaken to examine the community impact due to failure of road structures during the 2011 and 2013 floods in the Lockyer Valley region in Queensland. Researchers spent one week conducting semi-structured interviews of the community and identified the major community impacts due to failure of road structures.

Four workshops and a number of informal meetings were held during the year with excellent participation of end users researchers. During the workshops, case study data were identified and the methodology for vulnerability modeling was refined. Future data needs were communicated to the end users.

Two new Ph.D candidates commenced work with the research team on APA scholarships and two more will commence in July 2015. Each of the four strands of the project has recruited a researcher to engage in the project.

Major outcomes during the past year can be summarized as development of the vulnerability modeling methodology for critical road structures exposed to extreme events and demonstration of the methodology using four case studies. This work has been published in three peer reviewed conference papers and submitted as four journal papers. One journal paper has been accepted for publication. In addition, work was presented as invited papers at three industry events.

}, issn = {144}, author = {Sujeeva Setunge and Chun Qing Li and Darryn McEvoy and Kevin Zhang and Jane Mullett and Hessam Mohseni and Priyan Mendis and Tuan Ngo and Nilupa Herath and Karu Karunasena and Weena Lokuge and Buddhi Wahalathantri and Dilanthi Amaratunga} }