Framework to assess the resilience of the motorway network in Austria

In the context of ageing of road infrastructure and increasing hazards due to climate change, it is important to allocate available funds for construction works and maintenance such that functionality loss is minimised in its extent and duration. In other words, the aim is to increase the resilience of infrastructure. In this paper, the outcomes of the project REMAIN (REsilient MotorwAy INfrastructure) are presented. Within REMAIN, a framework was developed to assess the resilience of the whole motorway infrastructure in Austria, considering five distinct asset categories: bridges, tunnels, noise barriers, retaining walls, and roadways. The resilience was assessed regarding 18 hazards of natural, technical, and human origin. The framework is designed to provide the motorway operator with a series of performance indicators solely based on resilience aspects. It is intended to constitute an additional decision-making basis for infrastructure maintenance prioritisation, next to already existing indicators, e.g., condition-based indicators. Emphasise was placed on making the framework executable also in cases of limited data availability, however, additional data can be integrated easily. The ability to predict the resilience of the motorway infrastructure of a whole country regarding all major hazards makes the presented framework unique regarding the comprehensiveness of applicability.