The NYSDOT Seismic Vulnerability Manual provides the procedures for assessing and rating the seismic vulnerability of bridges in NYS to facilitate timely corrective actions. However, these procedures rely on prescriptive vulnerability scores based on as-built conditions and do not systematically account for the bridge deterioration over time, e.g. rebar mass loss in piers due to corrosion, which can be critical for the resilience of a bridge during an earthquake or other large loading events. The primary goal of this proposal is to demonstrate seismic vulnerability assessment of a group of NY state bridges subjected to deterioration due to corrosion or other factors. Assessment will be performed using a systematic framework that can combine the effects of corrosion and seismic hazards. The results can be used to prioritize bridges for maintenance when resources are limited.

The intended outcome of the project is the demonstration of the assessment methodology on a small group of bridges, recommendations for the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Manual to incorporate the effects of degradation, and recommendations for bridge inspectors to identify damage that is critical for seismic resilience. The framework that will be demonstrated in this research can be similarly used to update the procedures of other state DOTs (especially in the neighboring USDOT regions).