Significance of Modeling, Loading and Analyzing Methodologies on the Seismic Response of Curved Bridges

Abstract eng:
This study investigates numerically various scenarios for the seismic assessment of a tall, long-span, curved, reinforcedconcrete bridge, the Mogollon Rim Viaduct, based on recent advances in bridge engineering. The bridge’s geotechnical components, i.e. seat-type abutments and pile-raft foundations, its structural components, i.e. flared piers and superstructure, and soil-structure interaction are modeled in detail. The effects of P-delta, bond slip at the pier base, and pounding for both the exterior shear keys and back walls are incorporated in the finite-element model. A bin of time histories recorded during four large-magnitude earthquakes in the U.S. West Coast are selected for the seismic loading of the bridge, and conditionally simulated spatially variable strong ground motion records are generated for its non-uniform excitation. The conventional tools for nonlinear static and dynamic analyses of bridges, i.e. static pushover, incremental dynamic and response history analyses, are utilized, and their influence on the evaluation of the bridge response is examined. The effect of the multi-component, multi-support and multi-directional ground motion excitations on the bridge response is highlighted. The numerical results provide a deeper insight into the nonlinear behavior of curved reinforced-concrete bridges, and suggest practice-oriented approaches for their seismic assessment.

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