Bridge Embankments. II: Seismic Risk for I-24 in Kentucky

Soil types and depth of bedrock are not available for the majority of bridge embankments to allow detailed seismic analysis and risk assessment. The accompanying paper provides a quick methodology for preliminary seismic risk assessment, ranking, and prioritization of bridge embankments along priority routes. The objective of this paper is to apply the methodology to identify the seismic risk of 127 bridge embankments along I-24 in western Kentucky. The variables of each embankment including the geometry, type and properties of underlying soil, elevation of the natural ground line, and level of bedrock are estimated. The seismic slope stability capacity/demand ratio, displacement, and liquefaction potential of each bridge embankment are calculated. Three categories are presented to identify the failure risk of the embankments. A priority list of the embankments with the highest seismic risk of failure is generated for I-24 bridge embankments in western Kentucky during designated seismic events. The priority list will enable decision makers to decide on either carrying out further detailed evaluation or considering other appropriate actions for the embankments with the highest failure risk.