Evidence-based flood resilience models for bridges

Bridges are critical transport link that are frequently impacted by flooding. Despite substantial research on the risk of bridges to floods, there is a knowledge gap regarding restoration modelling, as there are very few available in the literature and most of them rely on expert elicitation. This paper provides the first restoration models that are based on documented cases and real data. The restoration of a portfolio of bridges that were damaged or collapsed during the 2015 Cumbrian floods in the UK was analysed. The purpose of this exercise was to develop a methodology that can be replicated to other case studies for facilitating resilience modelling for bridges affected by floods. Published restoration and recovery modelling techniques were used to establish a repeatable way of analysing a large portfolio of bridges in one model, offering valuable insights into the specific challenges and strategic considerations essential for effective post-flood recovery. This approach evaluates the serviceability levels during the restoration process and identifies key factors influencing restoration outcomes, underscoring the need for evidence-based restoration models to enhance infrastructure resilience against future flood events.