Evaluation of a case study concrete bridge in Victoria under effect of bushfire

Australia's variable climate has always been a factor in natural disasters that have had significant impacts on its evolving road infrastructure as well as the communities which rely on the roads. Bushfires as one of the major natural disasters have impacted the country directly and indirectly. Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) estimated 8.2 million dollars as an average annual cost of bushfires in Australia between 1967 and 2005 from which the state of Victoria has the highest proportion of 37% among other states (BITRE, 2008). Road network plays a vital role not only during the bushfires, but also after the natural hazards' events. As many roads are built across rivers, valleys and other roads, bridges become important part of the transportation network. The paper explores a case study of a Victorian concrete bridge in case of a fire exposure. The Isotherm method has been used for the assessment of case study bridge members where fire exposure duration is a variable in the study. Structural properties are evaluated in bridge components at different locations, during and after the extreme heat. Risk of failure has been evaluated and repair strategies recommended accordingly. The case study presented will assist road authorities to predict the potential damage to the road bridges and to proactively initiate strengthening programs to prevent catastrophic events or to prepare alternative strategies. Furthermore, emergency services can be informed of the potential risks of using the road network in response time of bushfire events.