Analysis of Seismic Isolation Effects on a Reverted L-shaped Pier Bridge in High Seismic Intensity Region with Finite Element Simulation

Abstract

The seismic response of urban special-shaped bridges is large, and the consequence of these bridges’ failure is very influential, therefore, the seismic response of this kind of bridges must carefully be calculated and seismic measures of isolation should be used for them. Simulation methods was studied for common used seismic isolation structures such as the rubber bearing, high damping rubber bearing, friction pendulum bearing and block. Four layouts of those seismic structures were set up for an actual reverted L-shaped pier bridge, which were correspondingly four simulation cases. The seismic responses of the bridge were analyzed and comparatively studied in all simulation cases, as a result, the seismic performance and seismic isolation effects of those structures were researched for the bridge, and the isolation design methods were gained. The results show that measures of isolation can reduce largely the seismic response of this kind of special-shaped bridge, high damping rubber bearings have remarkable effect and make the responses among piers more even, and setting reasonably blocks with clearance can make full use of the seismic performance of structures of the bridge.