Damage analysis of simulated I-880 structures under the Loma Prieta Earthquake

This paper analyzes the collapse of the Cypress portion of the Nimitz freeway in Oakland, California, during the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 17 October 1989. The most important bent configuration is chosen to carry out a nonlinear dynamic analysis and damage evaluation using the program SARCF-III. The acceleration history recorded at a nearby location with similar soil properties is used as the input ground motion. In order to cover the uncertainty about the structural properties and reinforcing details six different structures models are utilized. The maximum dynamic internal forces are compared to the structural capacity. It is investigated whether the collapse can be explained using a simplified structural model and one of the available computer codes.