Multihazard-Resistant Highway Bridge Pier

There are some similarities between seismic and blast effects on bridge structures: both major earthquakes and terrorist attacks/accidental explosions are rare events that can induce large inelastic deformations in the key structural components of bridges. Since many bridges are (or will be) located in areas of moderate or high seismic activity, and because many bridges are potential terrorist targets, there is a need to develop structural systems capable of performing equally well under both events. This paper presents the findings of research to establish a multi-hazard bridge pier concept capable of providing an adequate level of protection against collapse under both seismic and blast loading, and whose members’ dimensions are not very different from those currently found in typical highway bridges. A series of experiments on 1/4 scale multi-hazard bridge piers was performed. Piers were concrete-filled steel tube columns (CFST columns) with different diameters (D = 4”, 5” and 6”), connected to a steel beams embedded in the cap-beam and a foundation beam. Fiber reinforced concrete was used for the cap-beam and the foundation beam to control cracking, which was deemed desirable against spalling of the concrete. The CFST column exhibited a ductile behavior under blast load, and no significant damage was suffered by the fiber reinforced concrete cap-beam as a result of the blast pressures.

• 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:
  • Bruneau, Michel
  • Fujikura, Shuichi
  • Lopez-Garcia, Diego
• Conference:
  • Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways
  • Location: San Francisco CA, United States
  • Date: 2006-9-18 to 2006-9-20
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 4p
• Monograph Title: Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways: Innovation in Earthquake Engineering for Highway Structures

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beams; Bridge piers; Collapse; Deformation; Earthquakes; Explosions; Fiber reinforced materials; Highway bridges; Protection; Seismicity; Size; Terrorism
• Uncontrolled Terms: Blast resistant; Bridge structures; Damages; Inelasticity; Multihazard; Resistance factors
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Highways; Security and Emergencies; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01080409
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: A06
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 2007 6:39AM