Stochastic seismic assessment of bridge networks by matrix based system reliability method

Infrastructure systems cover an important role for economic activities and emergency response after a disaster, such as an earthquake. Within these systems, bridges represent a crucial component. However, they are often considered a weak link because of their vulnerability to hazards. Indeed, the structural damage of a bridge can create a disconnection in a transportation network or reduce its functionality. A probabilistic approach is the natural environment in which to analyze a complex network system and carry out risk/loss assessment estimations and decision-making processes. This problem presents various computational challenges and usually, sampling-based approaches are used to account for the uncertainty. In this contribution, a pri-oritization methodology is developed using the matrix-based system reliability (MSR) approach. This method is capable of delivering component failure probabilities and estimating the probabilities of complex system events with parameters sensitivities through efficient matrix calculations.