Methodology for risk assessment of road bridges endangered by blast attack

Malfunction of bridges due to natural or man-made hazards causes severe consequences in transportation networks. Decision making about protective measures should take basis in optimising expected costs. Uncertainties in input data should be treated by probabilistic methods. In general, total costs cover initial and operational costs, and direct and indirect consequences of structural failure. Bayesian (causal) networks provide an appropriate tool for such considerations. Case studies indicate that particularly the analysis of bridge response to a blast attack is a complex issue.