Overstrength factors of RC bridges supported on single and multi‐column RC piers in Mexico

Mexico highway network has more than 14,000 bridges. Most of them are reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The bridges design process incorporates the use an overstrength factor that is not justified and received little attention in published works. Mexican regulations allow using for buildings range 2–3, to reduce spectra as a function selected seismic behavior factor. However, bridges, single 1.5 proposed independent any parameter. mostly simply supported structures with maximum span lengths 50 m. A relevant distinctive aspect designed large load amplitudes trucks used define live high activity country. This study determines factors family medium-length RC composed superstructures substructure made up multi-column piers. Non-linear dynamic analyzes set 80 accelerograms were carried out. results show height their location parameters Finally, analytical expressions assess very common bridge typology world.