Parametric study of RC Bridge piers with State-of-The-Art ductility provisions

Abstract

Bridges form a key component of a country’s infrastructure.as these are very important structures it is very essential that they should be structurally sound. In case of an earthquake event, bridges are very essential for transportation and post-earthquake relief measures. The earthquake resistance of a structure is dependent largely on its ductility rather than strength, and hence the ductility of bridges is an important aspect. Since in bridges only the piers are allowed to undergo inelastic deformations, the ductile performance of piers plays a critical role. Considering this, IRC 112-2011 has given ductile detailing provisions to be mandatorily followed for bridges in seismic zones III, IV and V. In this study, a highway bridge in seismic zone IV has been considered. A comparison has been made for transverse confinement reinforcement as per IRC 112-2011, RDSO Seismic Design Guidelines - 2015 and AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. Besides the effect of various parameters which include different shapes, heights, cross section sizes, spans and concrete grades on the displacement ductility of piers has been worked out by carrying out moment curvature analysis. Also the effect of change in form (i.e cantilever vs portal pier) on displacement ductility has been studied.