Bridge Foundations: Challenges and Innovations for Resilient Design

Bridge structures often pose unique engineering challenges in the design, construction and operation phases. The foundation forms a critical component of a bridge structure, the failure of which can cause severe disruption to transport networks, damage surrounding infrastructure and even lead to casualties. The design of bridge foundations involves a variety of soil-structure interaction problems with respect to gravity, traffic and environmental loads. Resilient geotechnical design of a bridge foundation requires a careful consideration of extreme loads, seismic loads as well as loss of support due to erosion and scouring.

This research aims to gather articles and case studies that discuss geotechnical challenges around bridge foundations, and innovative methodologies that have been applied to quantify the risks or solve the soil-structure interaction problems, both static and dynamic. Case studies that showcase risk analysis, identify novel methodology, or discuss construction in challenging sub-soil conditions are encouraged.

This Research Topic aims to collect a series of novel articles and case studies discussing challenges around resilience of bridge foundations. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts on related topics such as, and not limited to:

• Foundation design in challenging subsurface conditions

• Novel construction techniques

• Seismic soil-structure interaction

• Scour detection and scour protection measures

• Health assessment of deep foundations

• Resilience to extreme events

• Risk analysis and retrofitting of old bridge foundations

• Forensic investigations of foundation damages

• New design codes and implications to life-cycle design

• Low-carbon technologies in bridge foundation design & construction

• Forensic analysis of bridge foundation failure

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Bridge foundation, pile foundation, well foundation, scour detection, scour protection, soil-structure interaction, damage detection, sustainable construction

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.