Effects of Near-field Earthquakes on Bridges with Tall Bearings

Seismically induced pounding of bridge decks may generate significant forces from large accelerations of near-field ground motions, resulting in bridge damage. Previous studies have used various contact elements and energy methods to focus on the effects of bridge pounding with limited attention to the transfer of loads from the bridge deck to the columns via bearings. This preliminary analytical study investigates the effects of pounding on bridges with tall bearings, where the distribution and redistribution of forces is paramount when subjected to near-field earthquakes. Tall bearings such as steel pedestals (19" to 33½") may not have the capacity to resist the large lateral forces generated from earthquake excitation coupled with pounding of the bridge decks and abutments. Consequently, these tall bearings may become unstable as energy is dissipated when subjected to synthetic time histories developed for 10% and 2% probabilities of exceedance (PE) for Charleston, South Carolina. Particular emphasis is placed on modeling the nonlinear behavior of the bridge columns, localized impact at the expansion joints, and bearing behavior, where the hysteretic force-displacement behavior of the tall bearings is uniquely modeled using experimental test results. Therefore, the objective of this study is to gain more insight as to the seismic vulnerabilities of tall bearings in a generic bridge with expansion joints, where the effects of pounding induced by near-field synthetic ground motions for Charleston, South Carolina are analyzed using nonlinear time history analysis.

• Corporate Authors:

  Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research

  State University of New York, 107 Red Jacket Quadrangle, P.O. Box 610025
  Buffalo, NY  United States  14261-0025
• Authors:
  • Hite, Monique C
  • Srivastava, Siddharth
  • DesRoches, Reginald
  • Leon, Roberto T
• Conference:
  • Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways
  • Location: Charleston SC, United States
  • Date: 2008-7-28 to 2008-7-30
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 8p
• Monograph Title: Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways: Seismic Technologies for Extreme Loads

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearings; Bridge decks; Columns; Earthquakes; Expansion joints; Near field; Seismicity
• Uncontrolled Terms: Time history analysis
• Geographic Terms: Charleston (South Carolina)
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01356966
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 16 2011 2:51PM