Seismic performance evaluation of steel arch bridges against major earthquakes. Part 1: dynamic analysis approach

In this study the inelastic behavior of steel arch bridges subjected to strong ground motions from major earthquakes is investigated by dynamic analyses of a typical steel arch bridge using a three‐dimensional (3D) analytical model, since checking seismic performance against severe earthquakes is not usually performed when designing such kinds of bridge. The bridge considered is an upper‐deck steel arch bridge having a reinforced concrete (RC) deck, steel I‐section girders and steel arch ribs. The input ground motions are accelerograms which are modified ground motions based on the records from the 1995 Hyogoken‐Nanbu earthquake. Both the longitudinal and transverse dynamic characteristics of the bridge are studied by investigation of time‐history responses of the main parameters. It is found that seismic responses are small when subjected to the longitudinal excitation, but significantly large under the transverse ground motion due to plasticization formed in some segments such as arch rib ends and side pier bases where axial force levels are very high. Finally, a seismic performance evaluation method based on the response strain index is proposed for such steel bridge structures. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of hysteretic dampers with optimal ductility for the transverse seismic control of cable‐stayed bridges

Cable‐stayed bridges require a careful consideration of the lateral force exerted by the deck on the towers under strong earthquakes. This work explores the seismic response of cable‐stayed bridges with yielding metallic dampers composed of triangular plates that connect the deck with the supports in the transverse direction. A design method based on an equivalent single‐degree of freedom approximation is proposed. This is proved valid for conventional cable‐stayed bridges with 200‐ and 400‐m main spans, but not 600 m. The height of the plates is chosen to (1) achieve a yielding capacity that limits the maximum force transmitted from the deck to the towers, and to (2) control the hysteretic energy that the dampers dissipate by defining their design ductility. In order to select the optimal ductility and the damper configuration, a multi‐objective response factor that accounts for the energy dissipation, peak damper displacement and low‐cycle fatigue is introduced. The design method is applied to cable‐stayed bridges with different spans and deck–support connections. The results show that the dissipation by plastic deformation in the dampers prevents significant damage in the towers of the short‐to‐medium‐span bridges under the extreme seismic actions. However, the transverse response of the towers in the bridge with a 600‐m main span is less sensitive to the dampers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

铅阻尼器在自锚式悬索桥横向减震设计中的应用研究

某自锚式钢桁架悬索桥结构主跨408m,采用双层桥面,2根主缆为空间线形布置。本文根据自锚式悬索桥独特的动力特性,提出在悬索桥主梁与过渡墩、辅助墩之间沿横向设置铅挤压阻尼器的消能减震设计方案,以控制悬索桥的横向地震反应。根据风、行车和地震荷载等各种工况可能引起的支座剪力值,提出了铅挤压阻尼器临界滑移荷载值的确定方法。研究表明,同时采用铅挤压阻尼器和粘滞阻尼器的消能减震技术,可以有效地减小悬索桥的横向地震反应,可供工程实践参考。     

斜腿夹角对V形墩连续刚构桥地震响应的影响研究

为研究斜腿夹角对V形墩连续刚构桥地震响应的影响及合理斜腿夹角角度,以一座典型V形墩预应力混凝土连续刚构桥为研究对象,采用有限元分析方法研究了斜腿夹角θ对桥梁内力及位移的影响,得出了θ对结构地震响应的影响规律和变化曲线。研究结果表明:随着斜腿夹角的增加,在纵向地震力作用下,墩底纵向弯矩逐渐减小,墩顶和主梁墩顶支撑处纵向弯矩逐渐增大;在横向地震力作用下,跨中横向弯矩逐渐减小,墩底横向弯矩逐渐增大,墩顶横向弯矩基本不变;在竖向地震力作用下,墩底和墩顶竖向弯矩逐渐增大,主梁支撑处竖向弯矩逐渐减小;斜腿夹角对纵向或横向地震力作用下结构位移影响不大,对竖向地震力作用下的位移影响较大。在满足静力设计的前提下,当两斜腿夹角为90°时,结构地震响应相对较小,受力合理性最优。研究成果可为该类桥梁的抗震设计与斜腿夹角角度选取提供参考和依据。     

Effects of seismic isolation on the seismic response of a California high‐speed rail prototype bridge with soil‐structure and track‐structure interactions

With the launch of the high‐speed train project in California, the seismic risk is a crucial concern to the stakeholders. To investigate the seismic behavior of future California High‐Speed Rail (CHSR) bridge structures, a 3D nonlinear finite‐element model of a CHSR prototype bridge is developed. Soil‐structure and track‐structure interactions are accounted for in this comprehensive numerical model used to simulate the seismic response of the bridge and track system. This paper focuses on examining potential benefits and possible drawbacks of the a priori promising application of seismic isolation in CHSR bridges. Nonlinear time history analyses are performed for this prototype bridge subjected to two bidirectional horizontal historical earthquake ground motions each scaled to two different seismic hazard levels. The effect of seismic isolation on the seismic performance of the bridge is investigated through a detailed comparison of the seismic response of the bridge with and without seismic isolation. It is found that seismic isolation significantly reduces the deck acceleration and the force demand in the bridge substructure (i.e., piers and foundations), especially for high‐intensity earthquakes. However, seismic isolation increases the deck displacement (relative to the pile cap) and the stresses in the rails. These findings imply that seismic isolation can be promisingly applied to CHSR bridges with due consideration of balancing its beneficial and detrimental effects through using appropriate isolators design. The optimum seismic isolator properties can be sought by solving a performance‐based optimum seismic design problem using the nonlinear finite‐element model presented herein. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Double deck bridge behavior and failure mechanism under seismic motions using nonlinear analyzes

This paper investigates the behavior and the failure mechanism of a double deck bridge constructed in China through nonlinear time history analysis.A parametric study was conducted to evaluate the influence of different structural characteristics on the behavior of the double deck bridge under transverse seismic motions,and to detect the effect of bidirectional loading on the seismic response of this type of bridge.The results showed that some characteristics,such as the variable lateral stiffness,the foundation modelling,and the longitudinal reinforcement ratio of the upper and lower columns of the bridge pier bents have a major impact on the double deck bridge response and its failure mechanism under transverse seismic motions.It was found that the soft story failure mechanism is not unique to the double deck bridge and its occurrence is related to some conditions and structural characteristics of the bridge structure.The analysis also showed that the seismic vulnerability of the double deck bridge under bi-directional loading was severely increased compared to the bridge response under unidirectional transverse loading,and out-of-phase movements were triggered between adjacent girders.     

Effect of vehicle bridge interaction on seismic response and fragility of bridges

This study focuses on understanding and evaluating the effect of vehicle bridge interaction (VBI) on the response and fragility of bridges subjected to earthquakes. A comprehensive study on the effect of VBI on bridge seismic performance is conducted, providing metamodels for seismic response and fragility estimates for bridges in the presence of various types of vehicles. For this purpose, the performance of multispan simply supported concrete girder bridges with varying design and geometric parameters is assessed with 3 different types of stationary trucks placed atop them. To delineate the effects of VBI and additional truck mass, the trucks are modeled in 2 different ways—with additional masses and suspension springs (ie, with VBI) and using additional masses only (without VBI). The results provide insight on VBI effects, such as the fact that when bridge and vehicle mode shapes are in‐phase, the component responses increase and vice versa; additionally, the presence of a heavy axle near a bent increases component responses. Sensitivity analyses are also performed to determine the bridge parameters that significantly alter the component responses in the presence of vehicles. Furthermore, differences in component responses and fragilities highlight that modeling vehicles with additional masses alone is not sufficient to model the effect of truck presence on the seismic response of bridges. Finally, this study concludes that depending on the characteristics of the bridge and the vehicle, presence of a vehicle atop the bridge during an earthquake may be either beneficial or detrimental to bridge performance.     

近断层地震动对上承式拱桥动力响应的影响

为了揭示近断层地震作用下上承式钢筋混凝土拱桥的动力响应特点,以西南山区某上承式拱桥为背景,用OpenSEES平台建立了全桥非线性动力分析模型,探讨了近断层地震动的输入方式、脉冲效应和竖向地震动等三个关键因素对桥梁动力响应的影响规律。研究结果表明:地震输入方式对拱圈地震响应的影响较小,但对拱上立柱地震响应的影响很大,尤其是拱顶附近的短立柱,在抗震分析中,建议偏安全地采用三向地震输入方式;脉冲效应对拱桥地震响应的影响非常大,会导致拱圈、拱上立柱和桥面板地震响应大幅增加,桥面板残余平面转角甚至增大6倍以上;竖向地震动对拱圈轴力和面内弯矩、拱上立柱纵向弯矩和剪力的影响很大,拱顶处的面内弯矩放大倍数最大可达2.95,总体来说,采用规范所建议的方法考虑竖向地震是偏保守的。     

无缝桥抗震性能的对比研究

本文以一座三跨总长60 m的整体桥为案例桥,分别试设计了同跨径的半整体桥、延伸桥面板桥和常规连续梁桥。通过Midas/Civil软件建立四种桥型的有限元模型,并对其进行了E1和E2反应谱分析和时程分析,对比了四种桥型的结构反应峰值（墩顶位移、桥墩及桩基剪力与弯矩、台底位移、桥台桩基剪力与弯矩）。计算结果表明:当桥梁存在15°的斜交角,整体桥、半整体桥在地震动沿平行于桥台长边方向及其垂直方向输入时更不利,而延伸桥面板桥和常规连续梁桥在地震动沿顺桥向和横桥向输入时更不利。四种桥型在地震作用下:整体桥抗震性能最优异,但其台底位移、桥台桩基的剪力和弯矩最大;半整体桥台底位移、桥台桩基的剪力和弯矩最小,其墩顶位移、桥墩及桩基的剪力和弯矩仅比整体桥大;延伸桥面板桥和常规连续梁桥的墩-梁相对位移远大于整体桥和半整体桥,不适用于地震基本烈度高的区域。     

5跨连续中承式钢管混凝土拱桥抗震性能分析

钢管混凝土拱桥由于桥型优美在城市桥梁中得到广泛应用,对某正在设计的5跨连续巾承式钢管混凝土拱桥进行了动力特性和抗震性能分析,根据该桥的结构特点,建立了’该桥的空间有限元分析模型,计算桥梁的自振特性,基于反应谱方法计算了该桥在横向、纵向水平地震反应,计算结果表明：该桥拱肋的面外刚度相对较小,在桥梁振动中首先出现拱肋的面外振动;桥梁的竖向振动表现为拱肋与桥面的整体竖向振动,其基频明显比拱肋面外振动大;主拱肋的轴力由横桥向地震动控制,其他内力由纵桥向地震动控制;地震作用对弯矩的影响较大,故主拱的内力计算应考虑地震力的影响;在设计计算中除常规关键点应作为控制点外,内外拱连接处也应作为控制点。计算结果已为该桥的抗震设计提供了参考。     

Seismic response analysis of an interacting curved bridge–train system under frequent earthquakes

This paper establishes a scheme for the seismic analysis of interacting vehicle–bridge systems. The focus is on (horizontally) curved continuous railway bridges and frequent earthquakes. Main features of the proposed scheme are (i) the treatment of the dynamics in all three dimensions (3D), employing an additional rotating system of reference to describe the dynamics of the vehicles and a realistic 3D bridge model; (ii) the simulation of the creep interaction forces generated by the rolling contact between the wheel and the rail; and (iii) the integration of the proposed scheme with powerful commercial finite element software, during the pre‐processing and post‐processing phases of the analysis. The study brings forward the dynamics of a realistic vehicle–bridge (interacting) system during seismic shaking. For the (vehicle–bridge) case examined, the results verify the favorable damping effect the running vehicles have on the vibration of the deck. By contrast, the study stresses the adverse influence of the earthquake‐induced bridge vibration on the riding comfort but, more importantly, on the safety of the running vehicles. In this context, the paper unveils also a vehicle–bridge–earthquake timing problem, behind the most critical vehicle response, and underlines the need for a probabilistic treatment. Among the 20 sets of historic records examined, the most crucial for the safety of the vehicles are near‐fault ground motions. Finally, the study shows that even frequent earthquakes, of moderate intensity, can threaten the safety of vehicles running on bridges during the ground motion excitation, in accordance with recorded accidents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simplified design method for metallic dampers used in the transverse direction of cable-stayed bridges

The aseismic design of cable-stayed bridges in the transverse direction with newly proposed metallic dampers that can accommodate both longitudinal and transverse movement of the deck has recently been considered. This work focuses on developing a simplified method to design an appropriate metallic damper. The seismic performance of cablestayed bridges with different damper stiffness, main span lengths, tower shapes and types of deck in the transverse direction are investigated. The transverse displacement of the deck of a cable-stayed bridge increases significantly with the increment of the damper stiffness, which proves that the design of the damper stiffness is crucial. A simplified model considering the damper stiffness, cable system and tower in the transverse direction is developed to evaluate the period and lateral displacement of a complicated cable-stayed bridge. Based on the simplified model, a design method is proposed and assessed using two cable-stayed bridges as examples. The results show that metallic dampers can be designed with high efficiency, and the optimal ductility of the damper can be selected.     

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。     

Optimization of the seismic response of bridges using variable-width joints

An aspect of seismic design of bridges that has hardly received proper attention so far is the appropriate selection of joint gaps. End gaps define the boundary conditions of the bridge and affect its dynamic response; their proper design can lead to an improved structural performance under dynamic actions. The idea of the ‘Dynamic Intelligent Bridge’ is explored here, wherein current bridge joints that have a fixed width are substituted by variable-width joints and, under seismic loading, the joint gap is optimised either with a one-off adjustment, or continuously (in real time) through semi-active control. In all cases, a novel device is used that permits this improved behaviour of the joints, the moveable shear key (MSK), a device for blocking the movement of the bridge deck, which has the possibility to slide, hence varying the size of the existing joint gap. In this context, the effect of gap size on the seismic response of bridges is assessed herein and a methodology is put forward for optimising this size, using a number of criteria such as maintaining the functionality of the bridge for moderate earthquakes, and ensuring the safety of the bridge and its users under earthquakes stronger than that used for design.     

The eigenvalues of isolated bridges with transverse restraints at the end abutments

This paper examines the eigenvalues of multi‐span seismically isolated bridges in which the transverse displacement of the deck at the end abutments is restricted. With this constraint the deck is fully isolated along the longitudinal direction, whereas along the transverse direction the deck is a simple‐supported beam at the end abutments which enjoys concentrated restoring forces from the isolation bearings at the center piers. For moderate long bridges, the first natural period of the bridge is the first longitudinal period, while the first transverse period is the second period, given that the flexural rigidity of the deck along the transverse direction shortens the isolation period offered by the bearings in that direction. This paper shows that for isolated bridges longer than a certain critical length, the first transverse period becomes longer than the first longitudinal period despite the presence of the flexural rigidity of the deck. This critical length depends on whether the bridge is isolated on elastomeric bearings or on spherical sliding bearings. This result is also predicted with established commercially available numerical codes only when several additional nodes are added along the beam elements which are modeling the deck in‐between the bridge piers. On the other hand, this result cannot be captured with the limiting idealization of a beam on continuous distributed springs (beam on Wrinkler foundation)—a finding that has practical significance in design and system identification studies. Finally, the paper shows that the normalized transverse eigenperiods of any finite‐span deck are self‐similar solutions that can be represented by a single master curve and are independent of the longitudinal isolation period or on whether the deck is supported on elastomeric or spherical sliding bearings. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic response of single span highway bridges

The dynamic response of single span simply supported bridge decks subjected to the passage of vehicles is examined. A modal analysis approach is adopted that is based upon a finite strip idealization of the deck. The vehicle is modelled as a rigid body supported at two points by a suspension idealization that accounts for the effect of tyre stiffness and the frictional nature of real suspension systems. Results are presented for an orthotropic slab deck and a box girder deck that illustrate the effects of (i) the initial precompression of the suspension system as the vehicle enters the span, (ii) the ratio of the vehicle's natural frequency to that of the bridge deck and (iii) a bridge deck surface profile that is not perfectly horizontal.     

Shaking table tests of a reinforced concrete bridge pier with a low-cost sliding pendulum system

After the occurrence of various destructive earthquakes in Japan, extensive efforts have been made to improve the seismic performance of bridges. Although improvements to the ductile capacities of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge piers have been developed over the past few decades, seismic resilience has not been adequately ensured. Simple ductile structures are not robust and exhibit a certain level of damage under extremely strong earthquakes, leading to large residual displacements and higher repair costs, which incur in societies with less-effective disaster response and recovery measures. To ensure the seismic resilience of bridges, it is necessary to continue developing the seismic design methodology of RC bridges by exploring new concepts while avoiding the use of expensive materials. Therefore, to maximize the postevent operability, a novel RC bridge pier with a low-cost sliding pendulum system is proposed. The seismic force is reduced as the upper component moves along a concave sliding surface atop the lower component of the RC bridge pier. No replaceable seismic devices are included to lengthen the natural period; only conventional concrete and steel are used to achieve low-cost design solutions. The seismic performance was evaluated through unidirectional shaking table tests. The experimental results demonstrated a reduction in the shear force transmitted to the substructure, and the residual displacement decreased by establishing an adequate radius of the sliding surface. Finally, a nonlinear dynamic analysis was performed to estimate the seismic response of the proposed RC bridge pier.     

Response of circular bridge decks to moving vehicles

This paper discusses the dynamic response of a curved bridge deck to a moving vehicle. The bridge deck is idealized as a set of annular sector plates and circular rings rigidly jointed together. On the basis of classical plate and ring theories a method has been developed to obtain the response to a moving vehicle idealized as a spring mass system. After obtaining the normal modes and frequencies and establishing the orthogonality conditions, the problem of the forced motion of the deck is solved by the method of spectral representation. Numerical results have been presented to illustrate the effect of several vehicle and bridge parameters on the response.     

高烈度区大跨度桥梁粘滞阻尼器减震研究

高烈度地震对铁路桥梁安全造成巨大隐患,且次生灾害将引起较大经济损失。该大跨连续梁桥所处地震带正进入活跃期,未来有发生较大规模强烈地震的可能,但桥梁自身不具备高烈度抗震能力,需利用粘滞阻尼器对其进行减震处理。采用斜向设置阻尼器并配合双曲面球型支座,来控制可能发生的纵向和横向地震。通过数值模拟进行阻尼器参数敏感性分析以及减震效果讨论,进而确定其最优设置方案。选取相关参数作为评价指标,对比加设阻尼器前后易损部位的地震响应,确定其在高烈度地震荷载激励下的减震效果。研究结果表明:在液体粘滞阻尼器的作用下,使得各墩协同受力,大大增加了结构的整体性,同时能很好弥补减隔震支座不能很好的控制上部结构位移的缺点,同时能降低罕遇地震力对桥墩的冲击损伤。因此,在高烈度区大跨度桥梁中更有必要设置阻尼器来抗震。