Case Study of Parallel Bridges Affected by Liquefaction and Lateral Spreading
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 7
Abstract
Two parallel adjacent river-crossing bridges performed differently in response to strong shaking (peak ground acceleration ) and liquefaction-induced lateral spreading during the 2010 M 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. A railroad bridge span collapsed, whereas the adjacent highway bridge survived, with one support pier near the river having modest flexural cracking of cover concrete and a second settling approximately 50 cm. Cone penetration and geophysical test results are presented along with geotechnical and structural conditions evaluated from design documents. This investigation employed an equivalent-static beam-on-nonlinear-Winkler foundation analysis to accurately predict observed responses when liquefaction-compatible inertia demands were represented as spectral displacements that account for resistance from other bridge components. Pier columns for the surviving bridge effectively resisted lateral-spreading demands in part because of restraint provided by the superstructure. Collapse of the surviving bridge was predicted when liquefaction-compatible inertial demands were computed for the individual bent in isolation from other components, and were represented by forces instead of displacements. The poor performance of the settled pier column resulted from bearing-capacity failure in a thin liquefiable layer at the shaft tip.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this study was provided by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) Lifelines Program, which receives funding from Caltrans and the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. The authors would like to acknowledge Tom Shantz from Caltrans, Enrique Hernandez Quinto and Ramón Pérez Alcalá from SCT, Raúl Flores Berrones from IMTA, Alberto Salamanca and Bob Nigbor from UCLA, Chris Krage from UC Davis, and Bill and Kathy Brandenberg for their assistance during the project. The contents of this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the sponsors involved.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 7 • July 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 10, 2015
Accepted: Dec 1, 2015
Published online: Mar 7, 2016
Published in print: Jul 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Aug 7, 2016
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