NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS
LABORATORY FOR EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
Seismic design of bridges
Lecture 1
Ioannis N. Psycharis
Bridge types
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Common bridge types
Horizontal slabs or girders supported by abutments and
piers.
Common types:
● Slab type
● I-beam type
● Box girder
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Common bridge types
Slab type
● The width B is comparable to the span length L
● Applied in case of small spans
● The deck is usually made with voids
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Common bridge types
I- beam type
● Precast (usually) or cast-in-situ beams (rarely)
● Beams are usually prestressed
● Various methods for placing the precast beams at their
position (crane, “caro ponte”)
● Can be used in difficult site conditions
Cast in-situ plate
B
Precast
Precast plate
beam H
(“Pre-plate”)
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Common bridge types
Box girder bridges
● Deck comprises of hollow box of single or multiple cells
● Applied in case of long spans
● The height H might vary along span
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Box girder bridge
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Balanced cantilever bridges
● Built by segmental increment of the two cantilever arms
extending from opposite sides of the pier, meeting at the
center.
● Usually of box-type with varying height.
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Arch bridges
● Used in cases of long spans
● Difficult construction (usually)
● Several types
● Typical in older times
1900 1920
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Suspension bridges
● The deck is suspended from cables
● The suspension cables hang from towers and are anchored at each
end of the bridge
Cable
anchorage
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Cable-stayed bridges
● Consists of one or more columns (towers or pylons), with cables
supporting the bridge deck.
● A type of balanced cantilever bridge. Each part carries its own
weight.
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Geometric classification
Normal or skew
● Normal: The axis of each pier is normal to the axis of the
bridge.
● Otherwise it is skew
Example of a skew
bridge
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Geometric classification
Straight or curved
A bridge can be curved and normal
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Structural considerations
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Structural systems
Simply supported spans
Advantages
● Can take differential settlements
and tectonic displacements
● Allow prefabrication (precast
beams)
Disadvantages
● Large moments at the middle of the spans
● Danger of deck fall during earthquakes (require wide sitting areas)
● Not clear seismic response:
♦ Asynchronous movement of decks
♦ Danger of impact between adjacent decks
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Structural systems
Continuous deck
Advantages
● Good distribution of moments
between supports and spans → small
deck thickness
● Good seismic behavior:
♦ The deck acts as a diaphragm →
all piers move similarly
♦ Practically, no danger of deck fall
Disadvantages
● Sensitive to differential settlements of piers
● Cannot accommodate tectonic movements
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Structural systems
Decks with Gerber beams
Advantages
● Best balancing of moments
between spans and supports
Disadvantages
● Serious danger of deck fall during earthquakes due to narrow
supports
● Special connecting systems required to reduce possibility of fall
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Pier-to-deck connections
Monolithic Through bearings
Advantages Advantages
● Small displacements (stiff ● Flexible systems type of
structures) seismic isolation
Disadvantages Disadvantages
● Development of seismic ● Large seismic
moments at the deck displacements (danger of
deck fall)
● Thermal variations,
● Piers behave as cantilever
shrinkage and creep large moments at the
produce deformation of the base
piers
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Pier-to-deck connections
Connection through bearings
● Types of bearings
♦ Laminated elastomeric
bearings
Allow horizontal displacements
and rotations
♦ Pot bearings
Allow only rotations
♦ Sliding bearings
Can be elastomeric or pot bearings
with sliding mechanism in one or
in both directions
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Pier-to-deck connections (cont’d)
Seismic stoppers
● Restrict the displacements in order to avoid deck fall
● Typical mechanisms:
♦ Bumpers
♦ Cables
♦ Dowels - sockets
(τόρμος – εντορμία)
● Usually are activated for large displacements only
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Types of piers
● Wall-type
● Single-column
● Frame (in transverse direction only)
● Hollow cross section
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Types of foundation
● Shallow foundation
♦ Only on stiff soil
♦ Large excavations required
● Pile foundation
♦ Can be applied in all types of soil (except rock)
♦ Good seismic behaviour
● Extended-pile foundation (κολωνοπάσσαλοι)
♦ No pile cap, no excavations
♦ Cannot bear large base moments
♦ Provides partial fixation at the base of the piers
● Shaft foundation
♦ Only on stiff and rocky soils
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Damage from earthquakes
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Fall of deck
Caused by large displacements and
insufficient length of support at the
piers
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Failure of piers
A. Flexural failure
Hanshin Express-way
Kobe Earthquake, Japan, 1995
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Failure of piers
B. Shear failure
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Rupture of crossing faults
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Foundation / soil failure
1 m lateral movement of pier
due to soil liquefaction
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Other reasons
Damage at construction joints
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