Resilience in bridges: demystified

This study explores how bridges in India can be made more resilient to natural hazards like floods, earthquakes, landslides, and cyclones. It emphasizes shifting from reactive to proactive bridge management using tools like structural health monitoring and hazard analytics. The Global Analytics for Bridge Management (GABM) framework helps assess vulnerability and guides decisions to enhance long-term resilience in critical infrastructure.

The study finds that bridge resilience depends heavily on structural design, material quality, and maintenance. Floods and cyclones pose the highest collapse risk, especially when pier heights are low or deterioration is advanced. Earthquakes and landslides also threaten stability, but robust design can reduce vulnerability. Bridges above 15m in height perform better in floods, while mid-height bridges are safer in landslide zones. Proactive strategies and region-specific designs are key to improving safety and sustaining connectivity during disasters.