Seismic Vulnerability of Segmental Bridges with Drop-In Span by Pushover Analysis

Abstract

Insight into the application of pushover analysis to prestressed concrete segmental bridges built in the 1950s–1970s by cantilevering with medium-large span length is provided. Seismic assessment must be carried out considering the whole structural response and, in particular, the task of tall piers, bearings, and drop-in spans with Gerber saddles, which are likely to be subjected to girder pounding and/or unseating. In this paper, the assessment of seismic vulnerability is initially performed by linear modal dynamic analysis; then, the efficiency in assessing the seismic response of different methods of pushover analyses is compared, assuming as a benchmark the results of non-linear time history analysis. The outcomes show that, for the bridge with the drop-in span, criteria for selecting the load pattern considered in pushover analysis, the reliable modeling of the bearings, and tall piers play a dominant role in the assessment of the seismic vulnerability, particularly in longitudinal motion.

Keywords

• bridge seismic vulnerability
• pushover analysis
• load pattern
• bearing modelling
• longitudinal response
• pounding