Experimental research and finite element analysis of bridge piers failed in flexure-shear modes

In recent earthquakes, a large number of reinforced concrete （RC） bridges were severely damaged due to mixed flexure-shear failure modes of the bridge piers. An integrated experimental and finite element （FE） analysis study is described in this paper to study the seismic performance of the bridge piers that failed in flexure-shear modes. In the first part, a nonlinear cyclic loading test on six RC bridge piers with circular cross sections is carried out experimentally. The damage states, ductility and energy dissipation parameters, stiffness degradation and shear strength of the piers are studied and compared with each other. The experimental results suggest that all the piers exhibit stable flexural response at displacement ductilities up to four before exhibiting brittle shear failure. The ultimate performance of the piers is dominated by shear capacity due to significant shear cracking, and in some cases, rupturing of spiral bars. In the second part, modeling approaches describing the hysteretic behavior of the piers are investigated by using ANSYS software. A set of models with different parameters is selected and evaluated through comparison with experimental results. The influences of the shear retention coefficients between concrete cracks, the Bauschinger effect in longitudinal reinforcement, the bond-slip relationship between the longitudinal reinforcement and the concrete and the concrete failure surface on the simulated hysteretic curves are discussed. Then, a modified analysis model is presented and its accuracy is verified by comparing the simulated results with experimental ones. This research uses models available in commercial FE codes and is intended for researchers and engineers interested in using ANSYS software to predict the hysteretic behavior of reinforced concrete structures.     

Composed analytical models for seismic assessment of reinforced concrete bridge columns

This paper presents general composed analytical models to predict the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns. The analytical models were developed in OpenSees to represent the common hysteretic behavior of RC bridge columns. The proposed composed models can accommodate flexure failure, flexure‐shear failure, and pure shear failure, which are observed in existing RC bridge piers. The accuracy of the models was verified using data from the static cyclic‐loading experiments of 16 single columns and one multi‐column bent and dynamical experiment from two pseudo‐dynamic tests. The results showed that the analytical models could simulate the nonlinear behavior until the post‐failure behavior, including the strength degradation, the buckling of the reinforcement, and the pinching effect. Therefore, a global view of the behavior of reinforcement concrete is prescribed as simply as possible from the academic perspective, and these models are expected to provide sufficient accuracy when applied in engineering practice. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics and seismic performance of rocking bridges accounting for the abutment-backfill contribution

The present study explores analytically the concept of rocking isolation in bridges considering for the first time the influence of the abutment-backfill system. The dynamic response of rocking bridges with free-standing piers of same height and same section is examined assuming negligible deformation for the substructure and the superstructure. New relationships for the prediction of the bridge rocking motion are derived, including the equation of motion and the restitution coefficient at each impact at the rocking interfaces. The bridge structure is found to be susceptible to a failure mode related to the failure of the abutment-backfill system, which can occur prior to the well-known overturning of the rocking piers. Thus, a new failure spectrum is proposed called Failure Minimum Acceleration Spectrum (FMAS) which extends the overturning spectrum put forward in previous studies, and it differs in principle from the latter. The comparison with the dynamic response of bridges modelled as rocking frames without abutments reveals not only that seat-type abutments and their backfill have a generally beneficial effect on the seismic performance of rocking pier bridges by suppressing the free rocking motion of the frame system, but also that the simple frame model cannot capture all salient features of the rocking bridge response as it misses potential failure modes, overestimating the rocking bridge's safety when these modes are critical.     

Rapid repair of severely earthquake-damaged bridge piers with flexural-shear failure mode

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of a proposed rapid repair technique for severely earthquake-damaged bridge piers with flexural-shear failure mode. Six circular pier specimens were first tested to severe damage in flexural-shear mode and repaired using early-strength concrete with high-fluidity and carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). After about four days, the repaired specimens were tested to failure again. The seismic behavior of the repaired specimens was evaluated and compared to the original specimens. Test results indicate that the proposed repair technique is highly effective. Both shear strength and lateral displacement of the repaired piers increased when compared to the original specimens, and the failure mechanism of the piers shifted from flexural-shear failure to ductile flexural failure. Finally, a simple design model based on the Seible formulation for post-earthquake repair design was compared to the experimental results. It is concluded that the design equation for bridge pier strengthening before an earthquake could be applicable to seismic repairs after an earthquake if the shear strength contribution of the spiral bars in the repaired piers is disregarded and 1.5 times more FRP sheets is provided.     

MPA方法在不同高度桥墩地震响应分析中的适用性研究

桥梁通常是线路中的控制工程,其抗震性能显得尤为重要。作为梁桥重要组成部分的桥墩,往往是地震作用下容易受到损伤的构件。结合西部山区梁桥的典型桥墩结构形式,基于纤维模型的有限元方法建立桥墩的非线性数值分析模型。采用MPA方法对不同高度桥墩的地震响应进行分析,以非线性时程分析方法的计算结果为基准研究MPA方法的适用性。计算表明MPA方法在分析高阶模态参与程度较高的高墩构件时适用性较差。     

Structural strength deterioration of coastal bridge piers considering non-uniform corrosion in marine environments

In the aggressive marine environment over a long-term service period,coastal bridges inevitably sustain corrosion-induced damage due to high sea salt and humidity.This paper investigates the strength reduction of coastal bridges,especially focusing on the effects of non-uniform corrosion along the height of bridge piers.First,the corrosion initiation time and the degradation of reinforcement and concrete are analyzed for bridge piers in marine environments.To investigate the various damage modes of the concrete cover,a discretization method with fiber cells is used for calculating time-dependent interaction diagrams of cross-sections of the bridge piers at the atmospheric zone and the splash and tidal zone under a combination of axial force and bending moment.Second,the shear strength of these aging structures is analyzed.Numerical simulation indicates that the strength of a concrete pier experiences dramatic reduction from corrosion initiation to the spalling of the concrete cover.Strength loss in the splash and tidal zone is more significant than in the atmospheric zone when structures’service time is assumed to be the same.     

考虑支座摩擦滑移及结构碰撞的非规则人字形桥梁地震响应分析

针对非规则人字形桥梁在地震作用下灾变严重的问题,以一座非规则人字形桥梁为研究对象,建立其空间分析模型,研究综合考虑支座摩擦滑移、结构碰撞对非规则人字形桥梁地震响应的影响。结果表明:邻梁间的碰撞作用可使得桥梁墩顶位移及内力相比不考虑时有所减小,但同时也使梁体产生了较大的加速度脉冲效应;当考虑支座摩擦滑移和结构碰撞时,固定墩墩顶位移和邻梁相对位移峰值有一定程度增大,然而对梁体加速度脉冲效应结果影响并无统一规律;纵向地震波作用下,非规则人字形桥梁不仅存在顺桥向的碰撞,横桥向的碰撞响应也不容忽视。非规则人字形桥梁进行抗震设计计算时应选取符合实际情况的计算模型,考虑支座摩擦滑移及结构间的碰撞。     

Application of direct displacement based design to long span bridges

The paper investigates the applicability of current direct displacement based seismic design (DDBD) procedure, developed by Priestley and his coworkers, for straight long span bridges under transverse seismic excitation synchronous to all supports. This category of bridges often possess some additional features such as massive tall piers, highly irregular distribution of mass and stiffness due to unequal superstructure spans and pier heights, large deformation capacity etc. that are absent in short-to-moderate span bridges for which DDBD has extensively been verified. It is shown that DDBD in its current form is unable to capture both displacement and base shear demand when compared with nonlinear dynamic analysis results. Accordingly, a simple mechanics based extension of the current procedure that takes into account the effect of pier mass while computing base shear demand as well as a modal combination rule for estimating displacement demand is proposed and validated using a series of parametric studies. The new procedure also allows engineer to allocate strength at the potential plastic hinge location in more general terms.     

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.     

Seismic fragility assessment of integral precast multi-span bridges in areas of moderate seismicity

In lack of seismic provisions in the pre-Eurocode ages, most of the existing Hungarian bridges were not designed for seismic actions, therefore their seismic performance is questionable. The most commonly used structural type in highway construction is the integral precast multi-girder bridge. These bridges are typically constructed as continuous multi-support systems with monolithic joints at each support, thus their behavior may be significantly different from those applying simply supported beams and conventional bearings. A parametric fragility analysis of a wide range of different layouts is carried out using detailed and advanced non-linear numerical models. The results indicate that the abutment joints are highly vulnerable and piers are also critical for longer bridges. The study implies that without seismic design, integral precast multi-girder bridges are highly susceptible to pier shear failure, the probability of collapse is relatively high. The results also provide a solid basis for retrofit planning as well as for development of design concepts of newly built structures in moderate seismic zones.     

Isolation parameters for improving the seismic performance of irregular bridges

Bridge structures are usually built on irregular topographical surfaces which create substructures with different pier heights and non uniform stiffness distribution. Three irregularity types of typical reinforced concrete (RC) medium length bridges located in a high seismicity zone of Mexico, were analyzed aimed at determining the best strength and stiffness parameters of an isolation system. The isolation system is composed by lead rubber bearings (LRB) located on each pile and abutment. The variation of the bridge characteristics and the isolation parameters produced 169 models that were subjected to ten seismic records representative of the subduction zone in the Pacific Coast of Mexico. A total of 1690 nonlinear time history analyses (NLTHA) were carried out in longitudinal and transverse directions of the structures. The maximum pier drifts, bending moments and shear forces demands were analyzed to identify the best isolation properties for reducing the concentration of damage in one or two elements and for improving the structural behavior of irregular bridges. Additionally, the analysis of the seismic response of the bridges supported on traditional neoprene bearings was carried out.     

公民科学素质视角下的防震减灾科普研究——以日本和美国为例

防震减灾科普教育是提升公民防震减灾科学素质的重要途经。日本和美国是在防震减灾科普教育方面走在世界前列的国家。本文通过研究日本和美国关于公民防震减灾科学素质建设文献资料,分类归纳日本和美国公民防震减灾科学素质建设的历史背景、发展特点及主要路径,由此对我国公民防震减灾科学素质建设提出思考和建议。     

考虑支座滑移及挡块破坏的中小跨径梁桥地震易损性研究

从板式橡胶支座及混凝土挡块抗震设计角度,以一座典型的3跨预应力混凝土连续梁桥为例,结合概率地震需求分析及桥墩、支座等抗震关键构件极限破坏状态,建立不同支座及挡块分析模型的中小跨径梁桥地震易损性曲线,研究考虑支座滑移效应及挡块破坏的中小跨径梁桥的易损性特征。研究结果表明:不考虑橡胶支座的滑移效应及混凝土挡块破坏,桥墩地震破坏概率明显增大,且会低估支座破坏概率;桥梁系统易损性受支座破坏状态的影响显著,需设置合理的限位装置;在中小跨径梁桥地震易损性分析中,考虑支座的滑移效应及混凝土挡块的破坏十分必要。     

Shear effects on hollow section piers under seismic actions: experimental and numerical analysis

Shear effects are often a very important issue on the seismic behaviour of piers, particularly for hollow section bridge piers. In fact, for this type of piers the cyclic response is similar to that of a structural wall in which both the transverse reinforcement ratio and the detailing can play an important role on its performance, even likely to be determinant in terms of the failure mechanism. On the other hand, codes and design guidelines are usually very conservative concerning shear capacity in order to avoid any shear failure mechanism likely to trigger well known catastrophic consequences. Therefore, research studies on this topic are still needed for a better understanding of pier cyclic shear response and also for improvement of the performance under seismic actions. Pursuing this general objective, this paper partially reports on an experimental/numerical campaign carried out on 1:4 reduced scale bridge piers in order to highlight and investigate shear-type problems. Within the scope of this paper, two specimens types were selected having equal rectangular hollow section (900 × 450 mm², 75 mm thick) but different transverse reinforcement detailing, namely one with a single stirrup per wall (representative of typical bridge construction without seismic design requirements) and another with multiple stirrups, according to Eurocode 8 provisions. Numerical simulations of the experimental results were also conducted aiming at contributing for complete and consistent interpretations of experimental results. Detailed modelling was performed allowing for realistic simulations of the non linear behaviour, particularly suitable when a significant shear component is involved. Therefore, the numerical strategy was based on a detailed 3D FEM discretization using a two-scalar variable damage model for the concrete constitutive law and a suitable cyclic behaviour law for steel bars represented by truss elements. Results have shown that shear deformation and failure modes are well simulated, while providing detailed insight concerning concrete damage pattern and distribution of yielding on the transverse and longitudinal reinforcement.     

行波激励下考虑结构碰撞的非规则桥梁抗震性能研究

基于动力学基本原理,建立非规则桥梁的多自由度动力简化模型,根据拉格朗日方程推导简化模型的动力方程,结合龙格—库塔方法,采用自编程序研究行波激励下非规则桥梁综合考虑支座摩擦滑移、结构碰撞等非线性因素作用时的抗震性能。结果表明,行波效应和碰撞效应的共同作用可使矮墩的弯矩需求增大;行波激励可使板式橡胶支座位移增大,地震波最后到达的桥墩其上方支座位移峰值增加最为明显;相比高墩,地震作用下矮墩上部的板式橡胶支座易发生滑动。因此非规则桥梁进行防碰撞设计时应考虑行波激励及支座摩擦,找出相邻结构的最大碰撞力,以指导设计。     

多维地震下考虑桩-土相互作用的曲线桥地震响应分析

为研究曲线桥梁在多维地震激励下考虑桩-土动力相互作用的地震响应特性,本文建立了空间桩-土脱离、摩阻和土体压缩非线性理论分析模型。为简化计算将该非线性弹簧模型进行线性化处理,结合有限元ANSYS分析平台建立了黄土场地的曲线桥仿真分析模型,对考虑桩-土相互作用的曲线桥进行了多维多工况数值分析,对比研究了曲线主梁跨中弯矩、墩底剪力和弯矩及桥墩顶位移的地震响应。结果表明:考虑桩-土相互作用的曲线桥梁主梁跨中内力与地震波输入方向密切相关,三维地震作用下主梁内力最大;各工况地震荷载作用下桥墩底部径向剪力响应比切向剪力响应大很多,而桥墩径向弯矩比切向弯矩略小;同一工况下不同桥墩顶切向位移响应大小相当,而径向位移差异较大。在进行非规则曲线桥梁抗震设计时,应充分考虑多维和单维地震激励输入工况。     

汶川大地震简支梁桥落梁震害与设计对策

总结了5.12汶川大地震中简支梁桥落梁震害及主要影响因素,发现除地震山体滑坡等地质灾害外,断层地表破裂、近断层地震动效应、桥台胸墙冲切破坏、防落梁构造措施单一及桥梁体型复杂等因素都是引起简支梁桥落梁震害的重要原因。提出了简支梁桥防落梁设计的基本理念及相关技术方案要点为允许墩梁间发生滑移,以降低桥墩承受的地震惯性力,以及盖梁提供允许的最大滑移长度及支座支承宽度,再辅助挡块或拉索限位器等共同防止落梁发生。最后结合现行规范,以拉索限位器为例给出了简支梁桥防落梁设计方法。