Agent-based model on resilience-oriented rapid responses of road networks under seismic hazard

This paper explores a new pathway towards seismic resilience of Road Networks (RNs) under earthquake hazards, by leveraging post-shock rapid responses as the key to minimize the functionality losses of RNs, especially in the immediate aftermath of earthquakes. Accordingly, an agent-based modelling (ABM) framework is developed to enable the nuanced examination on resilience of earthquake-damaged RNs, when different system repair approaches are considered. In this framework, those different approaches are predicated on the damage level of individual bridges and on the system recovery timeline, i.e. the response to rehabilitation need is considered as a function of the time elapsed from the event. Each approach is represented by a different agent, whose behaviour is shaped by a set of pre-defined behavioural attributes, while the interplay among those agents is also accounted for, during the entirety of post-shock recovery campaigns. To demonstrate its applicability, the ABM framework is applied to a real-world RN across Luchon, France. As shown by the case-study, post-shock rapid responses are found to be a viable strategy to increase the recovery rate of RNs’ functionality in the immediate-, and mid-term aftermath of damaging earthquakes, and ultimately, to improve the seismic resilience thereof.