Seismic vulnerability assessment of bridges using analytical hierarchy process

Abstract

Abstract Bridges play an important role in transportation network. After an earthquake, bridges must remain functional. To reach this goal, vulnerability study must be conducted. The aim of this study is to develop a vulnerability index method for bridges. The most important parameters influencing the seismic behaviour of bridges are identified, and a seismic vulnerability assessment model is developed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to quantify the contribution of each parameter. Using the developed model, several bridges are treated and the obtained results show a good adequacy with in situ observations.