SUstainable Preservation of Masonry Arch Bridges

forthcoming

SUSUPMAB project aims to develop, test, and validate a novel strategy for the sustainable management and preservation of masonry arch bridges (MABs) considering the unique features of these structures and their cultural heritage and social value. SUPMAB responds to the urgent need for cost-effective and sustainable techniques for extending the lifetime of MABs, many of which exhibit signs of distress. MABs are a vital part of transportation infrastructure and form part of our cultural heritage. Transport agencies and councils are facing significant challenges in managing and maintaining MABs. The limited funds allocated for risk management and mitigation mean that they need to correctly identify the structures more at risk to prioritize interventions. The increasing importance of environmental (i.e. climate change-related) considerations in the maintenance and renewal of infrastructure assets also means that factors such as energy and resource consumption and carbon emissions must be considered in addition to monetary costs in the decision-making process. Finally, the actions taken by bridge managers (e.g. closure, retrofit) must be soundly justified and accepted by the communities affected. SUPMAB aims to develop a novel multi-criteria framework for MAB risk management practice to aid decisions concerning the inspection, assessment, monitoring, operation and repair/strengthening of these structures. Based on Bayesian decision theory, the proposed framework considers several overlooked attributes of enhanced condition assessments, such as modelling/analysis sophistication and knowledge/information content, and environmental and social indicators in addition to economical ones, to define optimal management and maintenance strategies for MABs. The proposed framework can extend further the life of MABs and preserve these cultural heritage assets for future generations by promoting the implementation of cost-effective, sustainable, and shared management strategies.