Resilient Transport Infrastructure

Well-functioning transportation networks are a key aspect for the development of our societies. The resilience of infrastructure assets strongly depends on their ability to maintain the level service ensuring structural safety. The European Commission (EC) is aware of the increasing number of extreme events, mainly natural (where climate change plays an important role) but also man-made (accidents, negligence, vandalism, or terrorism), so it has started to promote concrete actions to improve the resilience of transportation infrastructures to these adverse events. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration new meteorological conditions, loading – and usage – conditions, as well as changes on the behavior of the population to evaluate whether the infrastructures are operating in safe conditions and how to deliver the most effective and efficient response once a disruptive event occurs.

The aim of this collection is to publish original technical and research focused on innovative methodologies and approaches to improve resilience of transport infrastructures at their different dimensions including resistance, reliability, redundancy, and response & recovery.

Topics for this collection includes, but are not limited to:

• Strategies, methods, tools, and services contributing to increase the resilience of transport infrastructure
• Technologies and methods for a more efficient monitoring of infrastructure assets, including large-scale monitoring using remote sensing, contact sensors, connected vehicles, social media, infrastructure information modeling, etc.
• Structural health monitoring of infrastructure facilities and condition evaluation by using innovative methods
• Risk-based assessment methods and tools for transport infrastructure management at both network and asset level
• Mapping and assessment of infrastructure exposure to extreme weather conditions to anticipate to the malfunctioning of terrestrial transport networks
• Methodologies to assess the impact of extreme events in transport infrastructure.
• Development of predictive models for projecting risks of future infrastructure damage, shutdown, and deterioration
• Resilience-driven decision support systems
• Performance-based design of infrastructures considering actual and prospective loading conditions, deterioration processes and circularity principles
• Studies identifying adaptation needs for existing infrastructure and new construction systems required for actual and future loading conditions (especially considering future meteorological conditions).

Collection advisors: Belén Riveiro Rodriguez (University of Vigo, Spain)