In Brief

The Challenge

Bridges play a crucial role in our transport system. They need to be designed with climate change in mind, as they can last for over 100 years. While bridges are designed to connect transport networks, they also carry energy, water, and communication networks. We recognise that bridge failure would have far-reaching effects on communities, impacting the movement of people and goods, and we aim to develop tools to mitigate this risk.  

Prioritising bridge maintenance interventions is a complex task that involves consideration of various factors, such as the bridge's lifespan, characteristics, operating conditions, environmental impact, and the consequences of infrastructure unavailability for local communities. To address this challenge, our research takes a holistic approach.  

The Solution

The proposed solution is to develop bridge decision support tools which are readily transferable across all transport networks and support the integration of existing bridge management databases with comprehensive regional information. Resulting in the identification of cost-efficient measures to reduce bridge vulnerability to climate change and more importantly ensure continued access to critical services for all communities in the event of bridge failure or closure. 

The Team

  • Team Lead: Dr Myra Lydon, University of Galway 
  • Team Co-Lead: Dr Amaya Vega, Atlantic Technological University 

Societal Impact Champion

  • Dr Helen McHenry, Western Development Commission