Vessel-bridge Collisions: Accidents, Analysis, and Protection

In recent years, vessel-bridge collision accidents have occurred frequently. The vessel-bridge collision has become one of the primary causes of bridge failure. To promote the development of bridge collision design methods and anticollision technologies, this paper reviews existing research on vessel-bridge collisions conducted during the past two decades with a focus on risk assessment, response analysis, and protective measures. Firstly, the vessel-bridge collision accidents in China from 2012 to 2022 are investigated to understand the actual collision demand of bridges and fill the information gap on vessel-bridge collision accidents during this period in China. Four new characteristics of vessel-bridge collision accidents in recent years are summarized. The research studies on vessel-bridge collisions are evaluated from the perspective of the adopted approaches. The methods of vessel-bridge collision risk assessment and response calculation are introduced. Four methods are reported for calculating the vessel-bridge collision response, namely, the experimental, contact finite element analysis, equivalent statics, and the equivalent dynamics, from the perspectives of development motivations, characteristics, applications, and limitations. In terms of protective measures, the development history and structural characteristics of two types of passive protective measures, including the floating interception system and the floating anticollision device are summarized. The implementation and updates of the algorithms utilized in active warning protective measures are also discussed. Finally, challenges in current research on vessel-bridge collisions, such as full-factor analysis, multihazard coupling, and standardized design, are identified, and the main directions for future development are outlined. © 2024 Chang'an University. All rights reserved.