Resilience-based risk mitigation for road networks

• A novel metric is proposed to compare risk mitigation strategies on a common basis.
• The metric integrates features of transportation networks and individual bridges.
• A ranking mechanism is proposed for identifying and prioritizing bridge projects.

Transportation infrastructure has been identified by the US Department of Homeland Security as one of sixteen critical infrastructure systems essential to the well-being of modern societies. In this study, we propose a resilience-based framework for mitigating risk to surface road transportation networks. We utilize recent developments in modern network theory to introduce a novel metric based on system reliability and network connectivity to measure resilience-based performance of a road transportation network. The formulation of this resilience-based performance metric (referred in the paper as WIPW), systematically integrates the network topology, redundancy level, traffic patterns, structural reliability of network components (i.e. roads and bridge) and functionality of the network during community’s post-disaster recovery, and permits risk mitigation alternatives for improving transportation network resilience to be compared on a common basis. Using the WIPW as a network performance metric, we propose a project ranking mechanism for identifying and prioritizing transportation network retrofit projects that are critical for effective pre-disaster risk mitigation and resilience planning. We further present a decision methodology to select optimal solutions among possible alternatives of new construction, which offer opportunities to improve the resilience of the network by altering its existing topology. Finally, we conclude with an illustration that uses the WIPW as the performance metric to support risk-based mitigation decisions using a hypothetical bridge network susceptible to seismic hazards.