MCEER Highway Project Research
Improving
the seismic performance and reliability of the nations' highway system is the
overall aim of MCEER's Highway Project. The project was
initiated in the fall of 1992 with two Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
contracts totaling more than $14 million. In 1998, MCEER received an
additional 6-year, $10.8 million FHWA contract to expand on work begun in 1992. Research
is augmented by additional contracts from FHWA and other agencies.
The project uniquely examines the impact of earthquakes on the highway system
as an integrated network, rather than a collection of individual roads, bridges,
embankments, tunnels, etc. Projects seek to ensure the usability of highways
following earthquakes, by improving performance of all interconnected components.
Overall goals are to improve understanding of the seismic hazards to highways
and to improve and develop analysis methods, screening procedures and additional
tools, retrofit technologies, design criteria, and other approaches to reduce
seismic vulnerability of existing and future highway infrastructure.
Studies examine:
- seismic hazards and ground motion
- soils and foundations
- structural systems and components
- performance criteria
- analysis and design issues
- intelligent and protective systems
In all, MCEER highway research involves more than 40 investigators from over
20 institutions throughout the United States.
Announcements
New Reports
Design of Highway Bridges Against Extreme Hazard Events: Issues, Principles and Approaches
Edited by G.C. Lee, M. Tong and W. Phillip Yen, MCEER-08-SP06, June 30, 2008
Proceedings of the Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways
Edited by Michael Keever and Lucero Mesa, MCEER-08-SP04, June 23, 2008
Seismic Retrofitting Manual for Highway Structures: Parts I and II
Part 1 - Bridges: Ian G. Buckle (Lead Author), Ian Friedland, John Mander, Geoffrey Martin, Richard Nutt and Maurice Power; and Part 2 - Retaining Structures, Slopes, Tunnels, Culverts and Roadways, Maurice Power (Lead Author), Kenneth Fishman, Faiz Makdisi, Samuel Musser, Rowland Richards and
T. Leslie Youd, April 2008
Damage to the Highway System from the Pisco, Peru Earthquake of August 15, 2007, by Jerome S. O'Connor, Lucero Mesa and Monique Nykamp, MCEER-07-0021, December 10, 2007
Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways
Charleston, SC, July 27-30, 2008
Conference Recap
New Seismic Guide Specification Adopted for LRFD Design of Highway Bridges
Learn more
NTSB makes recommendation following Minnesota bridge collapse
Learn more