Seismic Behavior Analysis Of Double - Column Piers With Buckling Support

Bridges are key parts of transportation networks. Once destroyed in earthquake, there will be high cost in terms of life and property and great difficulties for the emergency management and quick restoration. Reinforced concrete double column pier (RCDCP) is frequently used for highway and railway bridge engineering. RCDCP is frequently used for highway and railway bridges. With more strict measures taken for earthquake-resistance projects, currently existing bridges may not meet present demands and may need to be reinforced.Buckling-restrained brace (BRB) is widely used in earthquake-resistance engineering for buildings, but rarely for bridges. Therefore, it has a significant academic value to research on the application of BRB in seismic design of RCDCP.In order to study seismic performance of RCDCP with BRB, this study was conducted and conclusions are summarized as follows:(1) Numerical model of RCDCP with BRB installed was built on OpenSees software using elastic-plastic fiber surface element. Five possible options of placement/positioning BRB to reinforce RCDCP were designed based on research and application of BRB in earthquake-resistance engineering for buildings. Pushover analysis was made to study seismic capacity of RCDCP with BRB. Results show that the installation of BRB will increase lateral capacity of RCDCP and also improve its curvature ductility coefficient.(2) Elastic-plastic time history analysis was conducted to study the effect of BRB on seismic response of RCDCP for 7-degree rare earthquake. The result shows that all placement options will decrease horizontal displacement at the top end of the pier and increase moment and shear at the bottom of the pier.(3) Moment-capacity demand ratio is demonstrated based on the results of Elastic-plastic time history analysis and Pushover. The results reveal that, compared with RCDCP, some models of RCDCP with BRB have a larger moment-capacity demand ratio, which means the improvement of seismic safety and better seismic performance.(4) Finally, the moment-capacity demand ratio and curvature ductility coefficient were used as index to determine the seismic performance of RCDCP with BRB. The proper models, which have both relatively higher moment-capacity demand ratio and curvature ductility coefficient, are chosen as reference for practical engineering design.