Join CIHT Northern Ireland and guest speakers Dr Amaya Vega and Dr Myra Lydon who will present findings from the EMBRACE-Mobility project.
Bridges are critical components of rural transport networks, enabling access to employment, education, healthcare, and essential services. Yet, the increasing frequency of climate-related extreme weather events, combined with limited inspection records and resource constraints, has exposed the vulnerability of rural bridge infrastructure. The consequences of bridge failures extend beyond engineering concerns, often leading to rural isolation, accessibility loss, and widening socio-economic disparities.
This technical talk presents findings from the EMBRACE-Mobility project, which is developing a novel decision-support tool designed to strengthen bridge asset management. Unlike conventional approaches that prioritise engineering condition alone, this tool integrates socio-economic and accessibility-based metrics to identify critical structures whose failure would have the greatest impact on rural communities. By leveraging GIS-based modelling, accessibility indices, and scenario simulations, the system quantifies the loss of access to essential services in the event of bridge disruption.
Central to the project is stakeholder engagement, ensuring the tool is co-created with local authorities, communities, and policy makers. This collaborative approach enables the solution to reflect both technical requirements and community needs, making it more relevant and implementable. Initial case studies in Connemara, County Galway, highlight the disproportionate impacts of bridge disruptions on employment, education, and healthcare access, underscoring the importance of holistic, evidence-based planning.
The technical talk will demonstrate the tool’s prototype dashboard, explore its potential for integration with Ireland’s national asset management systems.
Amaya is a Senior Lecturer in Transport Economics at Atlantic Technological University, Galway, with over 20 years of academic experience. Her research focuses on transport and regional economics, maritime economics, and sustainable transport policy. She leads the international freight connectivity stream of the Atlantic Futures project and co-leads the SFI-funded EMBRACE Mobility project. Her expertise includes freight demand analysis, spatial modelling, accessibility, and economic evaluation methods.
Dr Vega has published widely in leading international journals and is also an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of International Economics, University of Valencia.
Myra is a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast and Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Galway. Her research specialises in fibre-optic structural health monitoring for transport infrastructure, with projects including the Titanic Dry Dock, Thames Tideway Tunnel, and King’s Bridge in Belfast. She developed the world’s first fibre-optic bridge weigh-in-motion system and more recently a prototype scour sensor to enhance bridge safety. Her expertise spans resilient infrastructure, bridge asset management, and the integration of monitoring and environmental data to inform transport network risk assessment.
Dr Lydon is PI on the EMBRACE Mobility and CRANN Bridge projects and Co-I on the EU-funded ICONIC project advancing sustainable rural and island transport connectivity.
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