Experimental Investigation on the Anticollision Performance of Corrugated Steel-Reinforced Composites for Bridge Piers

Abstract

To reduce the loss of life and property caused by the collision of a ship against a bridge pier, this study proposes a new type of anticollision facility. The facility uses corrugated steel plates and corrugated steel pipes (CSPs), or ordinary steel plates and corrugated steel pipes (OSPs), as structural elements to form a honeycomb structure, which can greatly improve the impact resistance of bridge piers and reduce any damage to ships. To evaluate the anticollision performance of the proposed anticollision facility, this work uses the CSPs and OSPs as study objects in the impact test research. A pendulum impact test system was utilized to compare and analyze the column with CSP and OSP specimens and the column without any anticollision facilities. Test results show that the CSP and OSP specimens have a relatively high energy dissipation effect. When the impact energy is small, the energy dissipation effect of the OSPs with the same plate thickness is stronger than that of the CSPs. When the impact energy is large, the energy dissipation effect of the CSPs with the same plate thickness is stronger than that of the OSPs. In addition, the extreme value analysis method is used to analyze the relationship curve between the peak value of the D1 lateral displacement and the specimen’s plate thickness, weight, and natural frequency; the optimal thickness, weight, and natural frequency values of the CSP and OSP specimens are also deduced. Taking the optimal value of the specimen’s natural frequency as a target, the structure of the CSP and OSP specimens is optimized. When the optimized plate thickness is 2.50 mm, the ratios of the optimal value of the specimen plate thickness, weight, and natural frequency to the optimal calculation value are all in the range of [0.80, 1.12]. OSP and CSP specimens are found to have the best energy dissipation effect. The peak value of the D1 lateral displacement of the top of the column equipped with the CSPs is at least 88.37% lower than that of the column without any anticollision facilities. For the top of the column equipped with the OSPs, the peak value of the D1 lateral displacement is at least 80.37% lower than that of the column without any anticollision facilities. Optimization results show that the extreme value analysis method is suitable for the optimal design of anticollision facilities for piers.