A collaborative research effort between the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the University of Vigo (UVigo) has revealed critical mechanisms that enable steel truss bridges to withstand catastrophic events, such as impacts or earthquakes. Published on September 7, 2025, in the journal Nature, this study highlights the unexpected resilience of these structures, drawing parallels to the adaptive nature of spider webs.
In their research, the team demonstrated that damaged steel truss bridges retain the ability to support loads exceeding their normal operational capacity. “We have shown that, just as spider webs can adapt and continue to trap prey after suffering damage, damaged steel truss bridges may still be able to withstand loads even greater than those they bear under normal conditions of use and not collapse,” said José M. Adam, a researcher at the ICITECH Institute of UPV and Coordinator of the Pont3 project.
Bridges and Their Importance to Transport Networks
Bridges play a vital role in transportation infrastructure, and their failure can lead to severe consequences, including loss of life and significant economic impacts, often amounting to millions of euros in daily losses during closures. With the increasing frequency of intense natural events and environmental changes, ensuring the integrity of these structures is more critical than ever.
Belén Riveiro, a researcher at the Center for Research in Technology, Energy and Industrial Processes at UVigo, emphasized the importance of their findings: “In the face of increasingly intense and unpredictable natural events, it is essential to ensure that these structures do not collapse after a local failure. In this regard, we have made progress in our study.”
This research addresses a longstanding question in engineering: why do initial failures in certain bridge elements sometimes lead to disproportionate impacts on overall functionality, while in other instances, the structures remain stable? The team identified and characterized the secondary mechanisms that allow steel truss bridges to develop latent resistance, effectively preventing collapse.
Learning from Nature for Engineering Solutions
The implications of this study extend beyond immediate structural resilience. The insights gained could inform the design of safer and more robust bridges, enhancing monitoring and repair strategies for existing infrastructures. Additionally, the findings may help establish new robustness requirements for steel truss bridges.
“Our fundamental objective is to improve the safety of these infrastructures, which are essential within transport networks. This time, we have learned from spider webs, whose behavior mirrors that of steel truss bridges,” Adam noted. This innovative approach to bridge design continues a trend of drawing inspiration from nature, following a previous study that explored how lizards can prevent building collapses during extreme events.
The research team’s efforts underscore the critical intersection of engineering and natural sciences, providing a pathway toward more resilient infrastructures. Their findings not only contribute to the safety of bridges but also offer valuable methodologies for future engineering challenges.
For more information on the study, refer to the article: Juan C. Reyes-Suárez et al., Latent resistance mechanisms of steel truss bridges after critical failures, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09300-8.
