DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPROVED SEISMIC DESIGN AND RETROFIT PROCEDURES FOR BRIDGE ABUTMENTS

This study focused on developing and implementing improved seismic design and retrofit procedures for bridge abutments. An idealized abutment-soil system was modeled, and numerical analyses were conducted to determine the passive earth pressures for various bridge abutment height and backfill soil combinations. These were then compared with available classical passive earth pressure solutions. A multiple spring gapping element mechanistic model was then developed and coded in order to provide for a mechanistic simulation of the non-linear characteristics of the load displacement behavior of abutments. A sensitivity study was then conducted to evaluate the influence of conventional existing abutment modeling procedures on the seismic response of a typical highway bridge.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication Date: September 1997. Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA. Remarks: Final report on a research project funded by CALTRANS under contract number DOT 59Q232
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Southern California, Los Angeles

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  3620 South Vermont Avenue
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90089-2531

  California Department of Transportation

  1120 N Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814
• Authors:
  • Martin, Geoffrey R
  • Yan, Lipin
  • Lam, Ignatius Po
• Publication Date: 1997

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: viii, 91 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge abutments; Earthquake resistant design; Stiffness
• Subject Areas: Design;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00938642
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: CALTRANS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 3 2003 12:00AM