Centrifuge Modeling of Innovative Foundation Systems to Optimize Seismic Behavior of Bridge Structures

Abstract eng:
The effects of rocking bridge foundations were investigated by two series of highly instrumented centrifuge tests. Slow cyclic tests on shallow foundations supporting rigid elastic columns were performed to capture the nonlinear moment-rotation behavior of foundations. Dynamic shaking tests were performed on lollipop bridge structures with variable footing dimensions supporting yielding columns. Results show that the test columns produced a well-defined moment capacity. Plastic rotation demand on the column decreases consistently with a decrease in the foundation moment capacity and a rocking footing can reduce ductility demand and permanent drift, improving bridge system behavior. Numerical analyses were implemented in OpenSees, an open source finite element platform, to validate the experimental results by using nonlinear Winkler springs simulating footing behavior. Numerical analysis is shown to be able to capture the experimental results satisfactorily. If settlement associated with rocking may be significant, experiments show that the settlement may be reduced by strategically locating relatively small zones of improved soil.

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