Seismic analysis and retrofitting of an existing RC highway bridge Part II: Analysis of the isolated bridge

This paper presents the preliminary results of a study which carried out within the RETRO research project. RETRO is the acronym of “Assessment of the seismic vulnerability of an old Reinforced concrete viaduct with portal frame piers and study of the Effectiveness of different isolation systems through Pseudo-dynamic Tests on a large scale model”. The project was funded by the 7th FP of the European Commission within the SERIES Network. It aims at studying the seismic behaviour of existing RC bridges and the effectiveness of innovative retrofitting systems. The seismic vulnerability of an old Italian viaduct with portal frame piers incorporating plain steel bars is evaluated; the sample structure is vulnerable to earthquake loading and an adequate isolation system is designed. The work is subdivided in two parts: the present paper is devoted to the analysis of the “isolated” configuration whereas the first part, provided in a companion paper, shows the results of the “as-built” case. Friction pendulum systems (FPSs) were utilized as isolation devices for the bridge continuous deck. The outcomes of the study confirm that FPS is an effective system to reduce the maximum seismic demand on existing structures. However the choice of the devices should comply with existing structural details, chiefly expansion joints. It may result of paramount importance to modify the boundary conditions of some viaducts, e.g. adopting a continuous bridge deck system, before base isolation is applied

DE RISI R;  DI SARNO Luigi;  DELLA CORTE G;  PAOLACCI Fabrizio;  MARIONI Agostino;  TAUCER Fabio; 

2014-02-17

Italian National Association of Earthquake Engineering

JRC76165

http://www.anidis.it/convegni-anidis/2011-bari/,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC76165,