Wave Passage and Ground Motion Incoherency Effects on Seismic Response of an Extended Bridge
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 16, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper investigates the implications of ground motion spatial variability on the seismic response of an extended highway bridge. An existing 59-span, 2,164-meter bridge with several bearing types and irregularity features was selected as a reference structure. The bridge is located in the New Madrid Seismic Zone and supported on thick layers of soil deposits. Site-specific bedrock input ground motions were selected based on a refined probabilistic seismic hazard analysis of the bridge site. Wave passage and ground motion incoherency effects were accounted for after propagating the bedrock records to the ground surface. The results obtained from inelastic response-history analyses confirm the significant impact of wave passage and ground motion incoherency on the seismic behavior of the bridge. The amplification in seismic demands exceeds 150%, whereas the maximum suppression of these demands is less than 50%. The irregular and unpredictable changes in structural response owing to asynchronous earthquake records necessitate in-depth seismic assessment of major highway bridges with advanced modeling techniques to realistically capture their complex seismic response.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) with Jacobs Civil, Inc. as the main contractor and the Mid-America Earthquake Center (MAE) as subcontractor. All findings and conclusions are those of the writers and do not represent Jacobs or MoDOT.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 16 • Issue 3 • May 2011
Pages: 364 - 374
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 4, 2009
Accepted: Jul 28, 2010
Published online: Aug 2, 2010
Published in print: May 1, 2011
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