Bending moment curvature relationship as an indicator of seismic resistance of older bridge piers

Abstract

In seismic areas, it is recommended to design bridges characterized by ductile behaviour. A large number of existing bridges designed according to outdated standards, without guidelines for ductile behaviour detailing, can be found in seismically active areas. The level of ductility exhibited by these bridges is unknown. A crucial seismic performance indicator for older bridges with piers containing round reinforcing bars, i.e. the bending moment-curvature curve (M- curve), is considered in this paper. The results of analytical, experimental and numerical approaches for determining the M- curve are compared, and conclusions on the effect of round reinforcement slippage are presented.