Research Pays Off--ShakeCast: Caltrans Deploys a Tool for Rapid Postearthquake Response

After a major earthquake, one of the most critical tasks for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is to assess the impact on the condition of all bridges and roadway corridors in the state highway system. Timely response ensures public safety, guides emergency vehicle traffic, and reestablishes critical lifeline routes.  In the past, the identification of bridges that needed to be inspected could take hours, effectively delaying inspection teams from getting to work. In 2005, Caltrans initiated a research contract with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to develop and implement a Caltrans-specific version of ShakeCast, a postevent software analysis tool. For events greater than magnitude 4.0, ShakeCast automatically determines the shaking value at the locations of more than 12,700 bridges and facilities, compares the values with the threshold preestablished for each facility, and distributes emails to designated responders within 15 minutes of the event. The e-mails contain general information about the event and a table of bridges sorted by inspection priority. By focusing inspection efforts on the most critically shaken areas, ShakeCast has drastically reduced Caltrans’ response time to assess potentially damaged structures after an earthquake.

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