Analytical Development and Experimental Validation of a Structural-Fuse Bridge Pier Concept

Keywords: Structural-fuse concept.  Bridge bents.  Piers.  Highway infrastructure.  Experimental tests.  Analytical models.  Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) concept.  Steel elements.  Seismic performance.  Energy dissipation.  Hysteretic behaviors.  Quasi-static cyclic tests.

Abstract: In this research, a structural fuse concept is proposed in which structural steel elements are added to a bridge bent to increase its strength and stiffness, and also designed to sustain the seismic demand and dissipate all the seismic energy through hysteretic behavior of the fuses, while keeping the gravity-resisting structural elements of the bridge bent elastic.  A parametric study to investigate the effect of adding structural fuses to a reinforced concrete (RC) bridge bent is first conducted.  Then, an experimental program is developed for two large-scale twin-column segmental bridge bent specimens in an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) application, having a series of structural fuses between the columns, and subjected to quasi-static cyclic tests to investigate the effect of adding these fuses on the total behavior of the system compared to the bare bents behavior.  The experimental work is then followed by an analytical work to replicate the experimental results obtained and to assess the adequacy of the design recommendations as well as the effectiveness of adding structural fuses to bridge bents for seismic energy dissipation, providing an insight into the general behavior of the structural fuse system.