Preliminary Seismic Evaluation and Ranking of Bridges along I-24 in Western Kentucky

This study represents one of the Seismic Evaluation of I-24 Bridges investigative series. The focus is on preliminary seismic evaluation and ranking of bridges according to their seismic vulnerability. Bridges along I-24 are considered in this investigation. The ranking will assist in identifying and prioritizing bridges for secondary evaluation, retrofit measure, or other course of action. The rating system described herein is based on a methodology provided by the FHWA Retrofitting Manual for highway bridges. One hundred and twenty seven (127) highway bridges were evaluated and rated in this process for projected 50-year and 250-year seismic events. The Tennessee River Bridge and the Cumberland River Bridge, also on I-24, are evaluated and presented in separate reports. Furthermore, culverts are excluded from the investigation. Based on this preliminary investigation, bridges along I-24 have ranking from 0 to 38, based on a scale of 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest), for the 50-year event, and 0 to 48 for the 250-year event. A priority list is presented in this report for bridges that require further seismic evaluation.