Methodology for Risk Assessment and Management of Critical Bridges

An important aspect of designing bridges for security in an economically feasible way is to have in place plans for evaluating the criticality of any one structure on the transportation network. Thus, in deciding how to allocate resources, bridges considered more essential to the transportation infrastructure, or those thought to be at higher risk for a terrorist attack, should be given priority in the implementation of protective measures over other less critical bridges. This paper describes methods of carrying out threat and vulnerability analyses and risk assessments. Once the risks to a given bridge have been assessed, measures may need to be taken to mitigate these risks if they are deemed unacceptable. These measures generally attempt to prevent an attack by increasing surveillance or limiting access, but they can also include actions to limit the effects of blast loads or procedures to aid in rescue and recovery. Usually, deterrence and prevention measures will provide the least expensive solution to mitigate risk initially. Therefore, a risk manager should consider implementing these measures for short-term risks before strengthening a structure is specified. Deterrence and prevention, however, may not always provide the most costeffective solution for long-term risks when considering life time costs, such as maintenance, replacement, personnel, and inspection costs.