The focus of this paper is to develop a screening procedure to obtain information and assess vulnerability of bridges located in the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ). This screening methodology includes structural elements, site, foundation, and importance of the bridge. An inventory of the river-crossing bridges in Memphis and Shelby County is made using the developed screening procedure; potentially hazardous bridges that require further detailed seismic evaluation and/or immediate seismic retrofitting are identified. The results of this study are important for future maintenance and improvement, earthquake loss estimates, seismic hazard/risk reduction, and earthquake preparedness/rescue plans for river-crossing bridges in the NMSZ.
This study is designed to assess potential seismic vulnerability of highly occupied or heavily used essential facilities, including 202 schools, 22 hospitals, and 74 fire stations, in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee which may be strongly affected by earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ). The seismic evaluation system uses existing data such as site, subsurface condition, foundation, structural characteristics, and results of previous site-specific seismic hazard studies. Results of the study reveal the current overall risk of damage of the essential facilities subject to the recognized seismic hazard in the study area and identify a preliminary pool of the most vulnerable facilities for the highest priority to be used in developing a detailed study to identify retrofit/replacement plans in the near future. Results also provide useful information for long-term upgrade strategies for essential facilities and general buildings in the Memphis area. The study results are important for future detailed study, facility maintenance and improvement, earthquake loss estimates, seismic hazard/risk reduction, and earthquake preparedness/rescue plans in the region.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.