Experimental studies on seismic performance of prefabricated integral bridge system for accelerated bridge construction

This paper presents findings from the first phase of testing at the University of Canterbury on seismic performance of emulative connections for Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) in regions of moderate to high seismicity. Emulative connections between precast concrete elements aim to target similar seismic behaviour as traditional ductile monolithic construction. The emulative solution in this research is called “High Damage Connection” (HDC). HDCs intend to achieve similar levels of seismic performance and ductility in a precast column as that can be expected of a monolithic one. HDC relies on formation of plastic hinges in the precast column during a design level earthquake to emulate monolithic ductile behaviour. Two types of HDCs, the grouted duct connection and member socket connection, were investigated in this research. Four half-scale precast segmental columns were constructed. Two columns featured grouted duct connections as the primary connection type. The other two columns used member socket connections. For a better understanding of the connection response under severe lateral loading, both uniaxial and biaxial testing of the columns was carried out. In this paper, an introduction to each connection type followed by design procedure, detailing considerations and construction methodology are explained in detail. Testing results and observations of seismic performance for each connection are thoroughly presented. The research concludes that High Damage Connections have good potential for ABC in regions of moderate to high seismicity. The connections that were tested achieved good levels of energy dissipation and ductility with similar performance to conventional monolithic connections.

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An earthquake resistant pier system for Accelerated Bridge Construction

IABSE Congress, Christchurch 2021: Resilient technologies for sustainable infrastructure ◽

10.2749/christchurch.2021.0205 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jared Cantrell ◽

Mustafa Mashal ◽

Arya Ebrahimpour

Keyword(s):

Seismic Performance ◽

Large Scale ◽

Experimental Testing ◽

The United States ◽

Accelerated Bridge Construction ◽

Bridge Construction ◽

Rapid Construction ◽

And Performance ◽

Precast Elements ◽

Concrete Filled Steel Tubes

<p>Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) has been gaining popularity in the United States. ABC offers rapid construction, less traffic disruption, improved quality and on-site safety, better durability, and less environmental impacts. Despite these advantages, application of ABC in seismic regions is still a challenge. In this research, a new precast pier system is proposed to emulate the traditional cast- in-place seismic design (e.g. formation of plastic hinges during earthquakes). The precast elements are connected using telescoping concrete-filled steel tubes in a grouted application. Large-scale experimental testing is carried out to investigate the seismic performance of the proposed pier system and to compare it against the traditional cast-in-place construction. Experimental results showed better ductility, strength and performance of the precast piers compared to cast-in-place benchmarks. Distributed plasticity models are developed to capture the seismic performance of the proposed precast pier system. The Idaho Transportation Department is planning to implement the research in this paper in an actual bridge in Idaho.</p>

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