Assessment of low temperature exposure for design and evaluation of elastomeric bridge bearings and seismic isolators in Canada

Abstract

This paper presents key data and relevant analyses assessing low temperature exposure for design and evaluation of elastomeric bridge bearings and isolators in Canada. A large database of temperature records is processed to investigate the potential for instantaneous thermal stiffening and crystallization. The results mainly show that: (i) temperature conditions at some locations lead to a significant potential for instantaneous stiffening in terms of intensity and frequency; (ii) in warmer locations, thermal stiffening is highly improbable; (iii) the number of consecutive days below a given low temperature is very variable geographically; and (iv) the crystallization testing criteria prescribed in CSA S6-14 can be too conservative. The results are also illustrated using contour maps. Important differences in temperature variation trends between eastern and western Canada are highlighted. The proposed methodology and obtained results constitute efficient tools to determine site-specific temperature conditions for enhanced performance-based design and evaluation of bridges in Canada.