Seismic response analysis of road vehicle-bridge system for continuous rigid frame bridges with high piers

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of earthquakes on road vehicle-bridge coupling vibration systems. A two-axle highway freight vehicle is treated as a 13 degree-of-freedom system composed of several rigid bodies, which are connected by a series of springs and dampers. The framework of the earthquake-vehicle-bridge dynamic analysis system is then established using an earthquake as the external excitation. The equivalent lateral contact force serves as the judgment criteria for sideslip accidents according to reliability theory. The entire process of the vehicle crossing the bridge is considered for a very high pier continuous rigid frame bridge. The response characteristics of the vehicle and the bridge are discussed in terms of various parameters such as earthquake ground motion, PGA value of the earthquake, incident angle, pier height, vehicle speed and mass. It is found that seismic excitation is the most influential factor in the responses of the vehicle-bridge system and that the safety of vehicles crossing the bridge is seriously impacted by the dual excitations of earthquake and bridge vibration.     

Structural and geotechnical impacts of surface rupture on highway structures during recent earthquakes in Turkey

The most significant damage on highway bridges during the recent earthquakes in Turkey (Kocaeli and Duzce earthquakes) and Taiwan (Chi–Chi earthquake) was the result of fault ruptures traversing transportation infrastructure. This phenomenon and its consequences accentuate the need to examine surface rupture hazards and to identify those areas at risk. This understanding can help to develop remedial measures for both structural and geotechnical engineering. For that purpose, damage to highway bridges during the recent events was reviewed. The total collapse of the highway overpass in Arifiye, during the Kocaeli earthquake, was investigated. The major problems under consideration (in Arifiye) were: (i) dislodging of the bridge spans, and consequently, the total separation of the reinforced concrete girders from the piers; and (ii) the stability of a mechanically stabilized earth wall (MSEW) system under extreme loading conditions. The results of the structural and geotechnical investigations presented herein can be taken in consideration to improve transportation infrastructure against surface rupture hazards.     

Model-data fusion for seismic performance evaluation of an instrumented highway bridge

The paper presents a computationally efficient algorithm to integrate a probabilistic, non-Gaussian parameter estimation approach for nonlinear finite element models with the performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) framework for accurate performance evaluations of instrumented civil infrastructures. The algorithm first utilizes a minimum variance framework to fuse predictions from a numerical model of a civil infrastructure with its measured behavior during a past earthquake to update the parameters of the numerical model that is, then, used for performance prediction of the civil infrastructure during future earthquakes. A nonproduct quadrature rule, based on the conjugate unscented transformation, forms an enabling tool to drive the computationally efficient model prediction, model-data fusion, and performance evaluation. The algorithm is illustrated and validated on Meloland Road overpass, a heavily instrumented highway bridge in El Centro, CA, which experienced three moderate earthquake events in the past. The benefits of integrating measurement data into the PBEE framework are highlighted by comparing damage fragilities of and annual probabilities of damages to the bridge estimated using the presented algorithm with that estimated using the conventional PBEE approach.     

Experimental and analytical study on pounding reduction of base‐isolated highway bridges using MR dampers

Pounding between adjacent superstructures has been a major cause of highway bridge damage in the past several earthquakes. This paper presents an experimental and analytical study on pounding reduction of highway bridges subjected to earthquake ground motions by using magnetorheological (MR) dampers. An analytical model, which incorporates structural pounding and MR dampers, is developed. A series of shaking table tests on a 1:20 scaled base‐isolated bridge model are performed to investigate the effects of pounding between adjacent superstructures on the dynamics of the structures. Based on the test results, the parameters of the linear and the nonlinear viscoelastic impact models are identified. Performance of the semiactive system for reducing structural pounding is also investigated experimentally, in which the MR dampers are used in conjunction with the proposed control strategy, to verify the effectiveness of the MR dampers. Structural responses are also simulated by using the established analytical model and compared with the shaking table test results. The results show that pounding between adjacent superstructures of the highway bridge significantly increases the structural acceleration responses. For the base‐isolated bridge model considered here, the semiactive control system with MR dampers effectively precludes pounding. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

形状记忆合金橡胶对高架桥梁碰撞减震效果的试验研究

地震作用下,高架桥梁相邻主梁间的碰撞会引起结构位移和加速度响应增大、应力提高,导致混凝土开裂、脱落和伸缩缝被挤压破坏,甚至引发桥梁落梁和倒塌等,因此采取减轻或者避免桥梁结构在地震作用下碰撞的措施显得尤为必要。设计制备了具有变形自恢复能力的形状记忆合金橡胶碰撞缓冲器,通过桥梁地震碰撞的振动台试验,研究了形状记忆合金橡胶缓冲器对桥梁碰撞的控制效果,提出了碰撞缓冲器吸能效率和结构自身耗能控制率指标。研究表明,形状记忆合金橡胶碰撞缓冲器具有稳定的吸能效率,能够大幅度降低桥梁结构碰撞加速度和碰撞力,这对于提高城市交通网络的地震安全性能具有重要意义。     

Seismic response of skewed RC box-girder bridges

It is critical to ensure the functionality of highway bridges after earthquakes to provide access to important facilities. Since the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, there has been a better understanding of the seismic performance of bridges. Nonetheless, there are no detailed guidelines addressing the performance of skewed highway bridges. Several parameters affect the response of skewed highway bridges under both service and seismic loads which makes their behavior complex. Therefore, there is a need for more research to study the effect of skew angle and other related factors on the performance of highway bridges. This paper examines the seismic performance of a three-span continuous concrete box girder bridge with skew angles from 0 to 60 degrees, analytically. Finite element （FE） and simplified beam-stick （BS） models of the bridge were developed using SAP2000. Different types of analysis were considered on both models such as： nonlinear static pushover, and linear and nonlinear time history analyses. A comparison was conducted between FE and BS, different skew angles, abutment support conditions, and time history and pushover analysis. It is shown that the BS model has the capability to capture the coupling due to skew and the significant modes for moderate skew angles. Boundary conditions and pushover load profile are determined to have a major effect on pushover analysis. Pushover analysis may be used to predict the maximum deformation and hinge formation adequately.     

Effect of isolation on fragility curves of highway bridges based on simplified approach

The trend of isolating highway bridges is on the rise after the recent large earthquakes in Japan, the United States, and other countries. Recent investigation shows that isolated systems perform well against seismic forces as the substructures of such systems experience less lateral forces due to energy dissipation of the isolation device. Hence, it is anticipated that there might be an effect on fragility curves of highway bridges due to isolation. In this study, 30 isolated bridge models were considered (and they were designed according to the seismic design code of highway bridges in Japan) to have a wider range of the variation of structural parameters, e.g. pier heights, weights, and over-strength ratio of structures. Then, fragility curves were developed by following a simplified procedure using 250 strong motion records, which were selected from 5 earthquake events that occurred in Japan, the USA, and Taiwan. It is observed that the level of damage probability for the isolated system is less than that of the non-isolated one for a lower level of pier height. However, having the same over-strength ratio of the structures, the level of damage probability for the isolated system is found to be higher for a higher level of pier height compared to the one of the non-isolated system. The proposed simple approach may conveniently be used in constructing fragility curves for a class of isolated bridge structures in Japan that have similar characteristics.     

南京江心洲大桥主桥的地震反应谱分析

以南京江心洲大桥主桥为研究对象,采用大型有限元分析软件ANSYS建立了该独塔自锚式悬索桥的三维有限元模型,采用子空间迭代法对该桥模型进行了自振特性的分析,在其中考虑了几何非线性的影响。对该桥模型进行模态分析。在此基础上运用反应谱法计算了该桥的纵向、横向、竖向、纵向＋竖向以及横向＋竖向的地震响应,并针对其主要截面位置进行分析。结果表明,横向地震下的塔底应力比纵向、竖向输入下大,竖向地震作用下主梁地震应力要比横向、纵向地震作用下的大,塔顶位移在纵向＋竖向地震动输入时的位移值最大等。研究结果对同类桥型的工程抗震研究具有参考意义。     

近断层地震动作用下桥梁结构的组合隔震分析

为改善近断层地震动作用下隔震桥梁结构的抗震性能,基于Benchmark结构振动控制问题,研究附加黏滞阻尼器、磁流变(MR)阻尼器的组合隔震策略.非线性动力分析过程中,优化了黏滞阻尼器的阻尼系数和速度指数,并设计了分散模糊控制器来确定施加给磁流变阻尼器的电压.研究结果表明:采用黏滞阻尼器和磁流变阻尼器可提高隔震桥梁结构在...     

大跨度桥梁结构多级地震响应研究

大跨度桥梁结构在地震发生时其支承点受到的地震动激励均不相同,使得在多级地震中其桥梁结构对于地震的响应程度也不同。通过分析多级地震作用下,水中结构的运动引起桥梁墩部周围水体辐射波浪运动对桥梁结构的影响,分析大跨度桥梁墩-水耦合边界。基于反应谱理论,计算大跨度桥梁结构承受的地震力最大值,得出多级地震响应曲线,以分析其多级地震响应;并以某地六跨桥为例,以多级地震下桥梁的位移、剪力、弯矩等响应时程为指标进行分析,得出有效结论。     

地震作用下大跨度连续梁桥半主动变阻尼控制研究

利用半主动变阻尼控制装置开展连续梁桥结构在纵向地震波作用下的振动控制研究,通过建立桥梁结构-半主动变阻尼系统力学模型和运动微分方程,进行不同地震波激励下,连续梁桥关键部位在无控?半主动变阻尼控制和主动控制下的响应值分析计算,其中最优控制力采用LQR算法确定,半主动变阻尼控制采用限界Hrovat最优控制算法。计算结果表明:半主动变阻尼控制与主动控制的控制效果接近,两者均起到了良好的减震作用,而其中半主动变阻尼控制所需能量少?设施经济可靠,是一种良好的结构减震控制方法。     

限制位移桥墩的连续刚构桥抗震性能研究

沿着摇摆桥墩的概念提出一种限制位移桥墩连续刚构桥体系。该体系通过对连续刚构桥墩底和承台之间采取一定措施,使桥梁在地震发生时能够在限制的位移量内活动,减小输入到桥梁结构中的能量,达到减震的目的。通过对一座铁路连续刚构桥的分析,发现这种限制位移桥墩连续刚构桥体系能大幅减小桥墩的延性和强度地震需求,减震效果明显,在选择合适的限制位移量的情况下,可保证桥墩在高烈度罕遇地震作用下几乎保持弹性工作状态,震后经简单处理即可保证使用功能,为震后救援工作带来极大便利,也大大减少了修复成本。     

Performance‐based earthquake engineering assessment of a self‐centering,post‐tensioned concrete bridge system

Highway bridges in highly seismic regions can sustain considerable residual displacements in their columns following large earthquakes. These residual displacements are an important measure of post‐earthquake functionality, and often determine whether or not a bridge remains usable following an earthquake. In this study, a self‐centering system is considered that makes use of unbonded, post‐tensioned steel tendons to provide a restoring force to bridge columns to mitigate the problem of residual displacements. To evaluate the proposed system, a code‐conforming, case‐study bridge structure is analyzed both with conventional reinforced concrete columns and with self‐centering, post‐tensioned columns using a formalized performance‐based earthquake engineering (PBEE) framework. The PBEE analysis allows for a quantitative comparison of the relative performance of the two systems in terms of engineering parameters such as peak drift ratio as well as more readily understood metrics such as expected repair costs and downtime. The self‐centering column system is found to undergo similar peak displacements to the conventional system, but sustains lower residual displacements under large earthquakes, resulting in similar expected repair costs but significantly lower expected downtimes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shake-table tests and numerical simulation of an innovative isolation system for highway bridges

Damage investigation of small to medium-span highway bridges in Wenchuan earthquake revealed that typical damage of these bridges included: sliding between laminated-rubber bearings and bridge girders, concrete shear keys failure, excessive girder displacements and even span collapse. However, the bearing sliding could actually act as a seismic isolation for piers, and hence, damage to piers for these bridges was minor during the earthquake. Based on this concept, an innovative solation system for highway bridges with laminated-rubber bearings is developed. The system is comprised of typical laminated-rubber bearings and steel dampers. Bearing sliding is allowed during an earthquake to limit the seismic forces transmitting to piers, and steel dampers are applied to restrict the bearing displacements through hysteretic energy dissipation. As a major part of this research, a quarter-scale, two-span bridge model was constructed and tested on the shake tables to evaluate the performance of this isolation system. The bridge model was subjected to a Northridge and an artificial ground motion in transverse direction. Moreover, numerical analyses were conducted to investigate the seismic performance of the bridge model. Besides the test bridge model, a benchmark model with the superstructure fixed to the substructure in transverse direction was also included in the numerical analyses. Both the experimental and the numerical results showed high effectiveness of this proposed isolation system in the bridge model. The system was found to effectively control the pier-girder relative displacements, and simultaneously, protect the piers from severe damage. Numerical analyses also validated that the existing finite element methods are adequate to estimate the seismic response of bridges with this isolation system.     

Effect of earthquake ground motions on fragility curves of highway bridge piers based on numerical simulation

Fragility curves express the probability of structural damage due to earthquakes as a function of ground motion indices, e.g., PGA, PGV. Based on the actual damage data of highway bridges from the 1995 Hyogoken‐Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake, a set of empirical fragility curves was constructed. However, the type of structure, structural performance (static and dynamic) and variation of input ground motion were not considered to construct the empirical fragility curves. In this study, an analytical approach was adopted to construct fragility curves for highway bridge piers of specific bridges. A typical bridge structure was considered and its piers were designed according to the seismic design codes in Japan. Using the strong motion records from Japan and the United States, non‐linear dynamic response analyses were performed, and the damage indices for the bridge piers were obtained. Using the damage indices and ground motion indices, fragility curves for the bridge piers were constructed assuming a lognormal distribution. The analytical fragility curves were compared with the empirical ones. The proposed approach may be used in constructing the fragility curves for highway bridge structures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy dissipating restrainers for highway bridges

Recent destructive earthquakes have demonstrated the vulnerability of highway bridges to collapse due to excessive movement beyond the available seat widths at expansion joints. This paper investigates the efficacy of using energy dissipating restrainers at expansion joints for preventing collapse of highway bridges in the event of a severe earthquake. The restrainer consists of a nonlinear viscous damper and an elastic spring connected in parallel or in series. Two-dimensional finite element analysis using bilinear hysteretic models for bridge substructure joints and nonlinear gap elements for expansion joints is performed on example bridges with one or two expansion joints. The analytical study demonstrates that the energy dissipating restrainers are effective in reducing the relative opening displacements and impact forces due to pounding at the expansion joints, without significantly increasing ductility demands in the bridge substructures.     

Hybrid control of seismic-excited bridge structures

Recently, several hybrid protective systems have been explored for applications to seismic-excited bridge structures. In particular, two types of aseismic hybrid protective systems have been shown to be quite effective: (i) rubber bearings and variable dampers (or actuators), and (ii) sliding bearings and actuators. In this paper, control methods are presented for these hybrid protective systems. The control methods are based on the theory of variable structure system (VSS) or sliding mode control (SMC). Emphasis is placed on the static (direct) output feedback controllers using only the information measured from a few sensors without an observer. Simulation results demonstrate that the control methods presented are robust with respect to system parametric uncertainties and the performance is quite remarkable. Sensitivity studies are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of hybrid protective systems and passive sliding isolators for reducing the response of seismic-excited bridge structures. The advantages of each protective system are demonstrated by simulation results for a wide range of earthquake intensities.     

Effect of seismic retrofit of bridges on transportation networks

The objective of this research is to determine the effect earthquakes have on the performance of transportation network systems. To do this, bridge fragility curves, expressed as a function of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV), were developed. Network damage was evaluated under the 1994 Northridge earthquake and scenario earthquakes. A probabilistic model was developed to determine the effect of repair of bridge damage on the improvement of the network performance as days passed after the event. As an example, the system performance degradation measured in terms of an index, “Drivers Delay,“ is calculated for the Los Angeles area transportation system, and losses due to Drivers Delay with and without retrofit were estimated.     

Development of elasto-plastic viscous damper finite element model for reinforced concrete frames

By advancing the technologies regarding seismic control of structures and development of earthquake resistance systems in the past decades application of different types of earthquake energy dissipation system has incredibly increased. Viscous damper device as a famous and the simplest earthquake energy dissipation system is implemented in many new structures and numerous number of researches have been done on the performance of viscous dampers in structures subjected to earthquake. The experience of recent severe earthquakes indicates that sometimes the earthquake energy dissipation devices are damaged during earthquakes and there is no function for structural control system. So, damage of earthquake energy dissipation systems such as viscous damper device must be considered during design of earthquake resistance structures.This paper demonstrates the development of three-dimensional elasto-plastic viscous damper element consisting of elastic damper in the middle part and two plastic hinges at both ends of the element which are compatible with the constitutive model to reinforce concrete structures and are capable to detect failure and damage in viscous damper device connections during earthquake excitation. The finite element model consists of reinforced concrete frame element and viscous damper element is developed and special finite element algorithm using Newmark׳s direct step-by-step integration is developed for inelastic dynamic analysis of structure with supplementary elasto-plastic viscous damper element. So based on all the developed components an especial finite computer program has been codified for “Nonlinear Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Earthquake Energy Dissipation System”. The evaluation of seismic response of structure and damage detection in structural members and damper device was carried out by 3D modeling, of 3 story reinforced concrete frame building under earthquake multi-support excitation.