Comparison of eigenanalysis and Ritz vector approaches for response spectrum analysis of soil-pile-bridge systems

Frequency-based analysis techniques such as response spectrum analysis (RSA) are widely used for designing bridges in seismically active regions. Two well-known analysis procedures that underlie RSA are the solution of the eigenproblem and the approximation of the solution to the eigenproblem (i.e., approximation of eigenvectors and eigenvalues) through use of force-dependent Ritz vectors. While frequency-based methods have achieved widespread adoption in practice, certain simplifications remain common, such as neglecting soil-structure interaction (SSI) due to a fixed-base assumption. In the present study, frequency-based techniques packaged within a research version of a design-oriented computational tool are employed to analyze, assess, and compare results obtained from RSA with use of the eigenanalysis, and separately, Ritz vector approaches. Importantly, for the bridge configurations analyzed, SSI is taken into account. As outcomes, the potential benefits of the Ritz vector approach (as well as modeling strategies) are demonstrated. The study outcomes are intended to aid practicing engineers when the need to account for SSI is recognized as pertinent to a given bridge seismic design application.

Shear live load analysis of NEXT beam bridges for accelerated bridge construction

Using precast concrete elements in bridge structures has emerged as an economic and durable solution to enhance the sustainability of bridges. The northeast extreme tee (NEXT) beams were recently developed for accelerated bridge construction by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). To date, several studies on the live load distribution factor (LLDF) for moment in NEXT F beam bridges have been reported. However, the LLDFs for shear in NEXT F beam bridges are still unclear. In this paper, the lateral distributions of live load shear in NEXT F beam bridges were examined through a comprehensive parametric study. The parameters covered in this study included bridge section, span length, beam section, number of beams, and number of lanes loaded. A validated finite element (FE) modeling technique was employed to analyze the shear behavior of NEXT F beam bridges under the AASHTO HL-93 loading and to determine the LLDFs for shear in NEXT beam bridges. A method for computing the FE-LLDF for shear was proposed for NEXT beam bridges. Results from this study showed that the FE-LLDFs have a similar trend as the AASHTO LFRD-LLDFs. However, it was observed that some LRFD-LLDFs are lower than the FE-LLDFs by up to 14.1%, which implied using the LRFD-LLDFs for shear could result in an unsafe shear design for NEXT beam bridges. It is recommended that a factor of 1.2 be applied to the LRFD-LLDF for shear in NEXT F beam bridges for structural safety and design simplicity.

Unexpected soil amplification effect on seismic performance of highway bridges during the Aegean earthquake of October 2020, Mw 6.6

On October 30, 2020, an earthquake about 70 km away from the city center of Izmir with a 4.3 million population has shaken the city tremendously and has resulted in destruction of many building type of structures due to an unexpected high soil-amplified vibrations very similar to the Mexico City earthquake in 1985. The bridges at the soil-amplified sites has performed in elastic range with no damage at all. In the city of Izmir, the 42 year old twin bridges located on the main transportation route, were tremendously shaken by the earthquake had observed to have no seismic induced damage. Surprisingly twin bridges suffering from the alkali silica reaction (ASR) over the years did not even pound to each other despite the small size of longitudinal gap between them. As it has been known, the past performance of Turkish designed bridges are typically succesfull with almost no damage as observed in the Van 2011 and Sivrice 2020 earthquake mainly due to allowing movements at their joints and to flexible type of framing. The focus of the paper is given to understand the successful performance of bridges and to investigate the non-pounded twin bridges of the Izmir city. In this scope, a bridge inspection has been performed and the twin bridges have been analyzed for the recorded ground motion. The results have indicated that the structures have been subjected to 0.3 g at their vibration modes and the twin bridges have a synchronized motion due to having the identical vibration mode shape with a period of 1.5 seconds

Dynamic amplification factors of girder and cables of extradosed bridges during sudden cable failure

The rupture of a cable in cable-supported bridges is an accidental condition that should be considered during the design phase due the impact that this situation could have on the structural safety of the bridge and users. For that reason, design guidelines suggest carrying out a pseudo-static analysis where the failing cable is replaced by a load of the same magnitude as the pre-rupture tension but applied in the opposite direction and multiplied by a dynamic amplification factor (DAF) between 1.5 and 2.0. Previous studies in cable-stayed bridges have shown that the pseudo-static approach may not be suitable. Due to the wide use of extradosed bridges in infrastructure projects around the world, a computational analysis was performed in this investigation to estimate the dynamic amplification factors of extradosed bridge girders and cables when sudden failure of an extradosed cable occurs. The main goal of the study is to determine whether the pseudo-static approach suggested in the guidelines is acceptable. Linear response history analyses were performed by using computational models of extradosed bridges in which the girder stiffness and the suspension (lateral or central) and cable layout (fan or harp) of the cables were modified. From the analysis, the DAFs were calculated and compared to those recommended in the design guidelines. The calculated DAFs for the axial forces and bending moment in the girder of the bridges and for the axial forces in the extradosed cables were smaller than 2.0. However, in some cases the DAF for shear forces were higher than 2.0, especially when the girder stiffness was relatively low. The results indicate that the recommendations of the design guidelines are adequate for extradosed bridges, which is a result of the relatively high stiffness of the girder and low inclination of extradosed cables. Despite this, response history analyses like the one performed in this study are recommended to assess the response of the bridge under cable breakage.

Modal frequencies of bridges from GNSS (GPS) monitoring data: Experimental, statistical evidence

GNSS technology (known especially for GPS satellites) for measurement of deflections has proved very efficient and useful in bridge structural monitoring, even for short stiff bridges, especially after the advent of 100 Hz GNSS sensors. Mode computation from dynamic deflections has been proposed as one of the applications of this technology. Apart from formal modal analyses with GNSS input, and from spectral analysis of controlled free attenuating oscillations, it has been argued that simple spectra of deflections can define more than one modal frequencies. To test this scenario, we analyzed 21 controlled excitation events from a certain bridge monitoring survey, focusing on lateral and vertical deflections, recorded both by GNSS and an accelerometer. These events contain a transient and a following oscillation, and they are preceded and followed by intervals of quiescence and ambient vibrations. Spectra for each event, for the lateral and the vertical axis of the bridge, and for and each instrument (GNSS, accelerometer) were computed, normalized to their maximum value, and printed one over the other, in order to produce a single composite spectrum for each of the four sets. In these four sets, there was also marked the true value of modal frequency, derived from free attenuating oscillations. It was found that for high SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) deflections, spectral peaks in both acceleration and displacement spectra differ by up to 0.3 Hz from the true value. For low SNR, defections spectra do not match the true frequency, but acceleration spectra provide a low-precision estimate of the true frequency. This is because various excitation effects (traffic, wind etc.) contribute with numerous peaks in a wide range of frequencies. Reliable estimates of modal frequencies can hence be derived from deflections spectra only if excitation frequencies (mostly traffic and wind) can be filtered along with most measurement noise, on the basis of additional data.

Influence of lateral impact on reinforced concrete piers under drying-wetting cycle and chloride ion corrosion environment

In order to study the influence of lateral impact on reinforced concrete piers in marine environment, drop hammer impact tests were carried out on piers with different corrosion rates obtained from drying-wetting cycle and chloride ion corrosion experiment to study the crack propagation process and failure modes of piers. Then by numerical simulation, the influences of impact velocity, impact mass, compressive strength of concrete and impact number on the performance of corroded piers were studied. The results showed that the failure modes of piers with different corrosion rates under lateral impact were different. The non-corrosive and low corrosion rate piers were destroyed by the bending shear which was jointly controlled by the transverse bending crack and oblique shear crack. The medium corrosion rate pier was the bending shear failure caused by oblique shear crack. The high corrosion rate pier was the joint action of bending shear crack and rust expansion crack. The increase of impact velocity, impact mass and impact number will increase the maximum deflection and the damage of the corroded piers, but the increase degrees were different. The increase was largest when the impact number was increased. Increasing impact number from 1 to 5, the maximum deflection increased by 26.3 times and the number of damage element increased by 4.3 times. Increasing the compressive strength of concrete will decrease the damage of pier, but with less degree. Increasing the compressive strength from 25 to 45 MPa, the maximum deflection and number of damage element were decreased by 10.7% and 9.4% respectively.

Bridges with multiple structural systems: The example of Trilj Bridge reconstruction in Croatia

Development of multiple structural systems for bridges is useful in the design of new bridges and rehabilitation of existing bridges. This paper briefly presents some existing bridges with multiple structural systems and succinctly discusses design ideas for bridges with such systems. As an example of a bridge with multiple structural systems, the paper presents the reconstruction of a pedestrian suspension bridge in the City of Trilj, Croatia. The new bridge’s load-bearing structure is composed of several structural systems. Namely, the reconstructed bridge is a combination of suspension, cable-stayed and stress-ribbon bridge, which is laterally restrained with horizontal tensioned ropes. Numerical analysis was conducted on the renovated bridge. The results have shown an acceptable levels of stresses and deflections verifying the structural safety of the restored bridge. It is believed that this example of the bridge renovation may be useful in the design of new and strengthening of existing similar bridges.