A NOVEL MECHANISM FOR RESTRAINING SEISMIC ACTIONS IN DUCTILE BRIDGES: ANALYTICAL MODELING AND EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION

Abstract eng:
In the present study, a mechanism for restraining seismic actions on ductile bridges is suggested and verified analytically and experimentally. The mechanism consists of the wall abutment which is monolithically connected to the end of the deck and is rested either on elastomeric bearings on the pile cap or on the abutment foundation as a stopper of adequate width, based on the serviceability demands due to the deck length variation. Using the suggested mechanism, the restraining of seismic deformations is attained on both bridge directions, without any complications during serviceability states, also alleviating stresses in the end-spans due to a more favorable moment distribution. There are Code provisions which permit the computational analytical modeling of the system, however it was considered appropriate to further examine of the proposed mechanism experimentally. For this purpose, eight 1:3 scale specimens of the suggested mechanism were prepared. Four of them were designed for normal (large) shear ratios, while the other four were designed for small shear ratios. The specimens were subjected in cyclic loading and interesting results were observed regarding the three response indexes, namely, strength, stiffness and ductility.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket