Investigation of the working mechanism of a quasi-floating hierarchically sacrificial seismic system for small and mid-span girder bridges

Abstract

Seismic resistance systems for small and mid-span girder bridges often lacks hierarchically repeatable earthquake resistance, leading to challenging and time-consuming post-earthquake repairs. This research introduces a novel quasi-floating seismic resistance system (QFSRS) with hierarchically sacrificial components to enable multiple instances of earthquake resistance and swift post-earthquake restoration. Finite element modeling, a numerical probabilistic approach, and earthquake-simulating shake-table tests identified highly sensitive parameters from the QFSRS to establish theoretical equations describing the mechanical model and working mechanism of the system. The results indicate that the working mechanism of the QFSRS under seismic conditions aligns with the theoretical design, featuring four hierarchically sacrificial seismic stages. Specifically, under moderate (0.3g) or higher seismic conditions, QFSRS reduced relative displacement between piers and beams by 55.15% on average. The strain at pier bases increased 6.17% across all seismic scenarios, significantly enhancing bridge seismic performance. The QFSRS provides resilient and restorable earthquake resistance for girder bridges.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

hierarchically sacrificial seismic resistance / alternative retainers / quasi-floating seismic system / post-earthquake bridge restoration

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