Skip to main content

Infrastructure risk and resilience

Our infrastructure risk and resilience research is led by Dr Sotirios Argyroudis. Infrastructure assets and networks are proven to be vulnerable to multiple hazard stressors and geo-hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, flood and scour effects, exacerbated by climate change. Hence, infrastructure owners and operators and insurance companies, need advanced and reliable approaches to assess the performance and damageability of the different assets, e.g. bridges, embankments, tunnels, retaining walls, railway infrastructure or pipelines. In this respect, the quantification of risk against geo-hazards provides a robust basis for achieving the continuity of infrastructure services and safety toward efficient allocation of resources in risk management as well as in the resilience-based design for existing and new infrastructure.

In response of the above need our research group delivers solutions by integrating:

  • Fragility models for infrastructure exposed to single and multiple geo-hazards, considering associated uncertainties.
  • Advanced numerical modelling of infrastructure assets subjected to geo- and climatic hazards.
  • Risk and resilience assessment of interconnected systems in diverse ecosystems, toward prioritisation of mitigation actions and efficient asset management.

Examples of fragility models for transport assetsFigure 1. Examples of fragility models for transport assets

Infrastructure risk and resilience - Fig.2Figure 2. 3D numerical model of an integral bridge including the foundation, piers, deck, abutments, backfill and foundation soil. An increasing scour hole is modelled by removing soil clusters around the foundations

Infrastructure risk and resilience - Fig.3a

Infrastructure risk and resilience - Fig.3a

Figure 3. Motorways in diverse ecosystems exposed to multiple hazards: mountainous areas (top), lowland areas (bottom)

Collaborative partners

Dr Argyroudis is collaborating with many research groups, including University of Surrey (Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering), UK, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Dept of Civil Engineering), Greece, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Norway, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Italy, Bristol University (Dept of Civil Engineering), UK, University of Strathclyde (Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering), resUK, Eiffel University (Université Gustave Eiffel), France, University of Padova (Dept of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering), Italy, Lehigh University, USA, Stanford University, USA. He is also actively work with Consultants/stakeholders, including Winter Associates Limited, TRL | The Future for Transport, UK, Highways England and Transport Scotland.

Relevant publications

1) Argyroudis S, Mitoulis SA, Hofer L, Zanini MA, Tubaldi E, Frangopol D (2020). Resilience assessment framework for critical infrastructure in a multi-hazard environment. Science of the Total Environment, 136854.

2) McKenna G, Argyroudis S, Winter M, Mitoulis S (2020). Multiple hazard fragility analysis for granular highway embankments: moisture ingress and scour. Transportation Geotechnics, 26, 100431.

3) Argyroudis S, Nasiopoulos G, Mantadakis N, Mitoulis SA (2020). Cost-based resilience assessment of bridges subjected to earthquakes. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, DOI 10.1108/IJDRBE-02-2020-0014.

4) Argyroudis S, Mitoulis S, Winter M, Kaynia AM (2019). Fragility of transport assets exposed to multiple hazards: State-of-the-art review toward infrastructural resilience. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 191, 106567.

5) Argyroudis S, Mitoulis S, Kaynia AM, Winter MG (2018). Fragility assessment of transportation infrastructure systems subjected to earthquakes. Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics V, June 10-13, Austin, Texas, USA, Geotechnical Special Publication (GSP 292), pp 174-183.

6) Argyroudis S, Tsinidis G, Gatti F, Pitilakis K (2017). Effects of SSI and lining corrosion on the seismic vulnerability of shallow circular tunnels. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering 98: 244-256.

7) Mayoral JM, Argyroudis S, Castañon E (2016). Vulnerability of floating tunnel shafts for increasing earthquake loading. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 80:1-10

8) Argyroudis S, Kaynia AM (2015). Analytical seismic fragility functions for highway and railway embankments and cuts. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 44(11):1863–1879.

9) Argyroudis S, Pitilakis K (2012). Seismic fragility curves of shallow tunnels in alluvial deposits. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 35:1–12