Research Reports |
Title: | Seismic Vulnerability Analysis of Bridges in Mountainous States |
Authors: | Matt Hardman, Thomas Wilson, and Suren Chen |
University: | Colorado State University |
Publication Date: | Sep 2013 |
Report #: | MPC-13-255 |
Project #: | MPC-342 |
TRID #: | 01493300 |
Keywords: | earthquake resistant design, highway bridges, mountains, performance tests, scour, seismicity, simulation, structural analysis, traffic loads |
Type: | Research Report – MPC Publications |
Depending on the location, highway bridges can often support considerable amounts of traffic. Due to the limitations on current earthquake forecasting techniques, a normal amount of traffic will also typically remain on a bridge when an earthquake occurs. In addition to traffic, scour effects are also a potential hazard to bridge piers that may simultaneously impact the structural integrity of the bridge together with seismic loads. Although a few studies investigating the combined effect of extreme and service loads have been conducted on long-span bridges or in high-seismic zones, the studies on typical short- and medium-span bridges in low and moderate seismic zones are rare. A general dynamic simulation methodology is introduced to study the combined realistic service and extreme loads on short- and medium-span bridges. As the initial effort studied the bridge performance under multiple service and extreme loads, this study sheds some light on more comprehensive studies for the future.
Hardman, Matt, Thomas Wilson, and Suren Chen. Seismic Vulnerability Analysis of Bridges in Mountainous States, MPC-13-255. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2013.