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PROJECT DETAILS

Author(s)
Reeves Whitney
Universities
Publication Year
Publication Type

This study examined the performance of curved weathering steel bridges in fire. Bridge fires can present a severe hazard to the transportation infrastructure system. In fact, a nationwide survey by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has shown that fires have collapsed approximately three times as many bridges as earthquakes. Bridge fires are often intense as they may be fueled by gasoline from vehicles that have crashed in the vicinity of the bridge. Large fuel loads and a lack of code requirements for fire protection of bridges have left bridges quite vulnerable to fire, particularly unprotected steel bridges.