This themed issue in Sustainability, decarbonisation, resilience based is a great showcase for the breath of research and development across sustainability and decarbonisation in bridge engineering remit, from insight into decarbonisation for bridge owners, to discussion on how bridge specialists can address Net-Zero together.
The issue starts with a The Net Zero Bridges Group: how can bridge specialists address net zero together? (Duguid et al., 2025a). The Net Zero Bridges Group (NZBG), formed in July 2021, brings together bridge professionals committed to reducing carbon emissions. Comprising 33 organisations, the group aims to accelerate the transition to net zero bridges by sharing knowledge, developing best practices, and aligning with broader decarbonisation efforts. NZBG focuses on practical tools for reducing lifecycle emissions, standardising carbon data, and exploring sustainable materials. This article outlines the group’s purpose, activities, key findings, and ongoing challenges in decarbonising bridge infrastructure.
The next paper is a framework for decarbonisation for bridge owners, engineers and designers (Duguid et al., 2025b). A neutral equilibrium mechanism (NEM) has been developed to enhance light bridges used in disaster relief by reducing vertical deformation and controlling internal forces. Acting like virtual piers, the system uses a PID controller with tailored gain settings to counteract deformation caused by loads. A multi-dimensional evaluation method tested different control setups, showing clear improvements in performance. The findings offer practical guidance for improving bridge stability and safety.
Moving forward the next paper is investigating climate change effects on bridges and tunnels (Collings, 2025). This research explores how climate change—including rising temperatures, extreme weather, and sea level rise, may affect bridges and tunnels. It examines impacts on load effects, material properties, and structural resilience, highlighting uncertainties in data and event magnitudes. Examples and risk assessments are provided to support design and asset management decisions, with a focus on British and Northern European contexts. Current standards are reviewed, and recommendations made for climate-resilient infrastructure planning.
Georgantzia and Kashani (2025) report a comprehensive review on the use of aluminium alloys in sustainable design, construction and rehabilitation of bridges. This review explores the potential of aluminium alloys in bridge design and construction, highlighting their low weight, strength, durability, corrosion resistance and recyclability. It examines whether these materials meet structural requirements, their role in reducing carbon emissions, and their cost-effectiveness over a bridge's life cycle. The paper also considers their use in bridge rehabilitation and strengthening, reviews existing research on structural performance, and identifies key areas for future study.
Collings and Murthy (2025) report an update on bridge carbon dioxide footprint data. This paper examines the carbon dioxide footprint of bridges and viaducts, which contribute significantly to global emissions due to their high use of steel and cement. It expands on previous studies with new data, focusing on trends over time, span length, and substructure emissions. Findings show little progress in reducing carbon emissions over the past 60 years. The paper concludes with five recommendations and key performance indicators to guide bridge design towards net zero.
Using an advance numerical study Sezgin et al. (2025) investigate seismic performance of a sustainable and resilient self-centring bridge piers equipped with SMA bars. This study investigates the seismic performance of precast post-tensioned segmental (PPS) bridge piers fitted with shape memory alloy (SMA) bars. Designed to reduce damage through rocking mechanisms, PPS piers benefit from the energy dissipation properties of super-elastic SMA bars. A parametric and dynamic analysis was conducted using finite-element modelling under far-field ground motions. Results from incremental dynamic analysis show that SMA bars significantly reduce pier drift, enhancing seismic resilience.
This themed issue is moving to chart to evaluate the effect of active control on a bridge (Sung and Shih, 2025). A neutral equilibrium mechanism (NEM) was developed to reduce vertical deformation in light bridges used for disaster relief by acting as virtual piers. Using a PID controller with specific gain settings (GP, GD, GI), the system counteracts deformation from loads and the bridge’s weight. A multi-dimensional evaluation method assessed control performance, showing improved stability with increasing GP values. These results provide a reference for enhancing bridge safety in practice.
Next, Shandiz (2025) provides application of variational mode decomposition in vibration-based bridge damage detection. This study explores the use of variational mode decomposition (VMD) for detecting damage in bridges through vibration analysis. A three-span beam bridge model under moving loads was simulated using finite-element methods, with damage introduced by reducing flexural stiffness. Vibration data from sensors were analysed using VMD, revealing damage through peaks in energy diagrams. Results showed accurate damage detection across spans, with better performance at lower vehicle speeds and closer sensor placement. The findings highlight VMD’s potential as a non-baseline method for structural health monitoring of bridges.
The journey of this themed issue continues with state-of-art review of resilience of bridges and bridge networks (Lad and Patel, 2025). This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of bridge and bridge network resilience research using a science mapping approach. Literature from the Scopus database was analysed with VOSviewer and Nvivo to identify key researchers, disaster types, assessment methods, and research trends. Findings show a shift towards digital tools, with a proposed framework integrating BIM, GIS, and digital twin models to support multi-hazard preparedness and lifecycle management. The study highlights research gaps and outlines future directions for enhancing bridge resilience.
Next paper is Corrosion in concrete structures: case study of an existing I-girder bridge (Mohammad et al., 2025). This study assesses the deteriorating condition of ageing bridges in Karachi, Pakistan, focusing on the impact of atmospheric corrosion on reinforced bridge bents. Using numerical analysis, fragility functions, and incremental dynamic analysis, it was found that corrosion significantly reduces base shear capacity, energy dissipation, and ductility, increasing collapse risk. Five damage states were identified, with corroded structures more likely to reach severe damage at lower displacements. Fragility curves shifted by 10%–30% transversely and 25%–30% longitudinally. The findings underscore the urgent need for corrosion mitigation to preserve bridge safety.
The final paper in this themed issue is coastal bridge material selection framework: balancing economic and environmental aspects (Elkorany et al., 2025). This study presents an integrated framework for extending the service life of coastal concrete structures by balancing durability, cost, and environmental impact. Using genetic algorithms and multi-criteria decision making tools, the model evaluates alternative binders replacing Portland cement with fly ash and slag. Applied to a coastal bridge in Alexandria, Egypt, the framework incorporates life cycle assessment and costing to minimise expenses and global warming potential. Results show that optimised binders can enhance durability while reducing environmental and financial costs.
