China-U.S. Comparative Study on Seismic Design Philosophy and Practice for a Long Span Arch Bridge

This paper presents the first of a series of case studies on the seismic design of long span bridges (cable-stayed bridges, suspension bridges and arch bridges) under a cooperative research project on seismic behavior and design of highway bridges between the State Key Laboratory for Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering, Tongji University and the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, University at Buffalo. The objective of this series of case studies is to examine the differences and similarities on the seismic design practice of long span bridges in China and the U.S., to identify research needs and to develop design guidelines beneficial to bridge engineers in both countries. Unlike short to medium span bridges, long span bridges are not included in most seismic design specifications, mainly because they are location dependent and structurally unique. In this paper, an available model of a steel tied half through arch bridge with a main span of 550 m in China is discussed. Analysis is focused on comparisons of the seismic responses due to different ground motions. Seismic design criteria and seismic performance requirements for long span bridges in both countries were first introduced and compared, and then three near field earthquake records with large vertical components were selected as the excitations to examine the seismic behavior and seismic vulnerability of the bridge. Results show that (1) the selected near field ground motions cause larger responses to key components (critical sections) of the bridge (such as arch rib ends) with a maximum increase of more than twice those caused by the site specific ground motions; (2) piers, longitudinal girders and arch crowns are more vulnerable to vertical motions, especially their axial forces; and (3) large vertical components of near field ground motions may not significantly affect the bridge’s internal forces provided that their peak acceleration spectra ordinates only appear at periods of less than 0.2s. However, they may have more influence on the longitudinal displacements of sliding bearings due to their large displacement spectra ordinates at the fundamental period of the bridge.

• 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:
  • Xu, Yan
  • Lee, George C
  • Fan, Li-chu
  • Hu, Shi-de
• 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; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 12p
• Monograph Title: Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways: Innovation in Earthquake Engineering for Highway Structures

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Arch bridges; Bridge engineering; Cable stayed bridges; Case studies; Earthquake resistant design; Guidelines; Long span bridges; Mechanics; Mineral dislocations; Philosophy; Research; Seismicity; Suspension bridges
• Uncontrolled Terms: Practice; Responses
• Geographic Terms: China; United States
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01080743
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: B31
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 15 2007 10:32AM