The concept of survivability as a factor in the sustainable design of bridge structures

This article examines the problem of integrating the concept of survivability into the methodology of sustainable design of bridge structures. Existing approaches to sustainable development in bridge construction focus on the economic and environmental aspects of normal operation, with little consideration of the risks of beyond-design-basis impacts and progressive deterioration. Accidents, even local ones, can negate the environmental benefits of a project and require enormous remediation costs.  
Based on a summary of the works of A. V. Based on the work of Perelmuter, A. G. Tamrazyan, and an analysis of bridge failure statistics, quantitative criteria for assessing survivability are proposed. The survivability coefficient Kv is defined as the ratio of the bearing capacity of the damaged structure to the estimated force in the event of failure of one or more elements. The environmental risk indicator Reco takes into account the probability of beyond-design impact, the conditional probabilities of damage and progressive destruction, and the ratio of the cost of mitigation of the consequences to the cost of construction. An algorithm for designing bridge structures taking into account survivability requirements is presented, including the identification of vulnerable elements, an analysis of local failure scenarios, and a verification of the survivability coefficient. The areas of responsibility of the following elements are substantiated: bearing parts, pylons, cables, suspensions, and superstructures. The recommended values of the survivability coefficient range from 1.0 for secondary elements to 1.3 for pylons. Two concepts of an “ideal” bridge structure are considered, combining durability, maintainability, and survivability. Ensuring survivability is a prerequisite for the true sustainability of transport infrastructure. A conclusion is drawn on the need to take beyond-design impact scenarios into account when assessing the life cycle of structures. The development of numerical methods for implementing the proposed criteria and their verification on specific types of bridge structures are the goals of further research. 

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