Valutazione dell'impatto dei carichi da tornado sui ponti

Catastrophic instances like the 2011 Joplin tornado in the United States have amplified concerns over tornado-induced damages worldwide. Europe, particularly Italy’s northeastern regions, have also witnessed significant tornado activity. Despite these threats, current structural design standards, specifically the Eurocodes, fail to incorporate tornado load considerations in their verifications at limit states. To address this gap, the study applies tornado loads to a steel-concrete bridge deck model, and evaluates its response to various tornado intensities classified by the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale from EF0 to EF5. Results from the study reveal the need to revise current design standards to include tornado load considerations, thereby enhancing the resilience of civil infrastructure against the increasing threat of extreme weather events and ensuring the safety and structural integrity of bridges.