Centrifuge modeling of rocking‐isolated inelastic RC bridge piers

Centrifuge modeling of rocking-isolated inelastic RC bridge piers

Experimental proof is provided of an unconventional seismic design concept, which is based on deliberately underdesigning shallow foundations to promote intense rocking oscillations and thereby to dramatically improve the seismic resilience of structures. Termed rocking isolation, this new seismic design philosophy is investigated through a series of dynamic centrifuge experiments on properly s...

PERFORMANCE-BASED SEISMIC DESIGN OPTIMIZATION FOR MULI-COLUMN RC BRIDGE PIERS, CONSIDERING QUASI-ISOLATION

In this paper an optimization framework is presented for automated performance-based seismic design of bridges consisting of multi-column RC pier substructures. The beneficial effects of fusing components on seismic performance of the quasi-isolated system is duly addressed in analysis and design. The proposed method is based on a two-step structural analysis consisting of a linear modal dynami...

Vulnerability Reduction for Bridge Piers

Evaluation of the Extent of Backwater Effects of Bridge Piers

Introduction... The construction or renovation of bridges may require placement of bridge piers in the channel or floodplain of natural waterways. These piers will obstruct the flow and cause an increase in water levels upstream of the bridge for subcritical flows. The increase in the water level is called the backwater. The amount of backwater caused by piers depends mainly on their geometric ...

Prediction of scour depth around bridge piers using Gaussian process

A reliable prognostics framework is essential to prevent catastrophic failure of bridges due to scour. In the U.S., scour accounts for almost 60% of bridge failures. Currently available techniques in the literature for predicting scour are mostly based on empirical equations and deterministic regression models, like Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines, and do not predict the evolution o...