On December 9th CAIT hosted affiliated researchers from Columbia University for a webinar on their latest research studying the “Effects of Exposure to Fire on Strength of Suspension Bridge Cables Over Time” as part of the ongoing CAIT Seminar Series. Watch the webinar below.
University Transportation Center (UTC) partners from Columbia University have worked to develop a methodology for estimating the remaining strength of suspension bridge cables exposed to fire through a number of potential variables. This work was done as part of the UTC project, “Simulation of Degradation and Failure of Suspension Bridge Main Cables due to Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards,” that aimed to provide actionable guidance and engineering tools to support the structural engineering community.
In this webinar, Principal Investigators discussed their work to date studying the reduction of suspension bridge cable strength over time due to exposure to fire. This includes, early findings and results following high-fidelity forensic investigations of structures subjected to fire events, hazards associated with traffic patterns and general access to cables, early recommendations for future designs, case studies of fire events on bridges, next steps needed in the research, and more.
