Abstract
Permanent earth-retaining structures (ERSs), including retaining walls, have been systematically managed, inventoried, and assessed by several government organizations, including the City of Cincinnati, Ohio; the Oregon and Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation; and the Central Federal Lands Highway Division of FHWA (for the National Park Service). For a comprehensive ERS asset management program, a careful evaluation of the structural health, criticality, and risk of ERSs is essential for proper management (preservation, rehabilitation, or replacement) of these aging assets. However, many transportation agencies struggle with the evaluation and incorporation of risk in their ERS management programs. This study addressed the development of a framework that would evaluate risk and would define its relationship to ERS condition (likelihood of failure) and ERS criticality (consequence of failure). A methodology for relating risk to routine inspection cycles for ERSs and remedial actions for those in distress is proposed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.