‘Low-damage’ alternative tabled for earthquake proof bridge structures Researchers in New Zealand have put forward a “low-damage” design as an alternative for earthquake-resilient for bridges. “Current earthquake design philosophy prevents the collapse of bridge infrastructure as a result of a large-magnitude earthquake, but that does not mean that bridges won’t be significantly damaged,” said University of Canterbury College of Engineering professor Alessandro Palermo, who is working on the project with civil engineering PhD student and charted bridge engineer Sabina Piras (both pictured above) and associate professor Gabriele Chiaro. He added: “Road closures and repairs can have a significant social and economic impact as seen in the Canterbury and Kaikōura quakes, which brought the affected regions to a standstill and cost the economy millions.”