ELASTOMERIC ENERGY ABSORBER

THIS REPORT COVERS TESTING PERFORMED ON A PROPOSED ELASTOMERIC ENERGY ABSORBING AND RESTRAINING UNIT DESIGNED TO RESTRICT MOVEMENT AT THE HINGE OPENINGS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE SPANS WHEN SUBJECTED TO EARTHQUAKE FORCES. ALTHOUGH MINOR MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE FOR EACH OF THE FIVE TESTS CONDUCTED, THE BASIC UNIT CONSISTS OF 11-3/4" DIAMETER THICK WALLED NEOPRENE TUBING CONTAINED IN A 24" LENGTH OF 12" DIAMETER EXTRA HEAVY STEEL PIPE. A STEEL ROD PULLS AGAINST A 11 1/2" DIAMETER ROUND STILL BACKUP PLATE RESTING ON THE NEOPRENE AND RUNS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE PIPE AND THE NEOPRENE TUBING. IN AN INSTALLED SITUATION THE ROD CONTINUES ON THROUGH AND IS SECURED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HINGE. ANY EXCESSIVE FORCE ACTING TO SEPARATE THE HINGE WILL COMPRESS THE NEOPRENE BY PULLING THE BACKUP PLATE THROUGH THE PIPE. THE LOAD-DEFLECTION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESTRAINED NEOPRENE THEN DETERMINES THE FINAL AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT FOR THE FORCES INVOLVED. FOR THIS TESTING PROGRAM THE UNITS WERE LOADED THROUGH THE TOP CROSSHEAD OF A 1000 K MTS TESTING MACHINE. LOAD-DEFLECTION CURVES ARE PRESENTED FOR THE FIVE TESTS. COMPRESSIVE LOAD- DEFLECTION CURVES ARE ALSO PRESENTED COVERING THE RESULTS OF TWO ADDITIONAL TESTS ON TWO DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS OF UNRESTRAINED RECTANGULAR NEOPRENE OR ELASTOMERIC BEARING PADS. THE DEVICE INCLUDING THE SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS TESTED DID NOT PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ENERGY ABSORBING CHARACTERISTICS. NO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEVICE IS PLANNED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 20 PP
• Corporate Authors:

  California Division of Highways

  Materials and Research Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95819

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Nordlin, E F
  • Stoker, J R
• Publication Date: 1971-11

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Earthquake resistant design; Earthquake resistant structures; Elastomers; Energy absorbing materials; Hinged structures; Neoprene; Reinforced concrete bridges
• Old TRIS Terms: Energy absorbers
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208042
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 28 1972 12:00AM