Rocking Bridge Columns with External Replaceable Tendons
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 3
Abstract
Columns are usually the weak links in conventional bridges with regard to seismic design. Damage of reinforced concrete (RC) columns caused by moderate earthquakes is usually repairable, but significant damage is expected in the event of strong ground shaking. Advanced materials and/or innovative detailing have been developed for RC bridge columns to minimize damage while meeting or exceeding the ductility requirements per current codes. Rocking columns with either internal or external energy dissipators, commonly referred to as hybrid rocking columns, are novel columns with an improved seismic performance. Despite decades of research on rocking columns and promising laboratory findings, they have never been used in any bridge in the United States because of concerns regarding the accessibility and durability of internal tendons, and the lack of system redundancy when tendons are lost. The present study proposes a new class of rocking bridge columns that do not need internal pre- or post-tensioning tendons (or bars). Instead, tendons are placed outside of the column to be fully accessible and replaceable. One half-scale precast bridge column cast with ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) was tested twice under the same loading protocol. All external tendons were replaced in the second round of testing to validate repair by the fuse replacement technique. The damage of the precast UHPC column was insignificant throughout testing and retesting. Furthermore, the precast column showed the same displacement capacity, a slightly lower lateral strength, and insignificant residual displacements compared with those of a reference cast-in-place column (CIP). One drawback of the precast column was a lower effective stiffness compared with that of CIP column. A parametric pushover study was performed to investigate the seismic performance of the proposed columns with different fuse materials and lengths and to determine the best fuse configurations for a successful design. Finally, design guidelines were recommended to facilitate future investigations.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and codes that support the findings of this study are available from the first author upon reasonable request. Videos of the precast column testing can be found at: https://sites.google.com/people.unr.edu/mostafa-tazarv/research/repairable-bridge-bents.
Acknowledgments
The work presented herein was conducted with the joint support from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), South Dakota State University, and the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability and Life-Extension (TriDurLE), a University Transportation Center (UTC) funded by the US Department of Transportation (Grant No. 69A3551947137). The contents of this document reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the information presented. This document does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Headed Reinforcement Corp. is greatly appreciated for in-kind material support and technical comments. The authors are also indebted to Gage Brothers, a leading precast company in the Midwest located in Sioux Falls, SD, for the support, technical comments, and construction of the precast columns. Material donation including stainless steel bars from Contractors Materials Company is appreciated. The support and constructive feedback from the project advisory panel, Jared Brewe of PCI, Yahya Kurama of University of Notre Dame, Glenn Myers of Atkins Global, Richard Potts of Standard Concrete, Kevin Eisenbeis of Burns and McDonnell, Wael Zatar of Marshall University, and Adam Roark of Gage Brothers are greatly appreciated. The research team is thankful to graduate students Theodore Sjurseth and Evan Greeneway, undergraduate students Aric Jensen and Bayden Schneider, and Zachary Gutzmer, the manager of the Lohr Structures Laboratory, for their efforts.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 3 • March 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 16, 2023
Accepted: Oct 12, 2023
Published online: Jan 11, 2024
Published in print: Mar 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jun 11, 2024
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