Hysteretic model and parameter identification of RC bridge piers based on a new modified Bouc-Wen model

Abstract

The Bouc-Wen-Baber-Noori (BWBN) model is a modified Bouc-Wen model. The BWBN model uses a differential mathematical model to simulate nonlinear hysteretic systems. And it can well describe the pinching effect of RC structures under strong earthquakes. However, the pinching function of the BWBN model is too complex, resulting in low computational efficiency. Therefore, this paper proposes a new modified Bouc-Wen (MBW) model by constructing a simpler and more efficient pinching function on the basis of the approximate Dirac delta function. The MBW model can realize the pinching effect with fewer parameters. The validity of the MBW model is verified based on the pseudo-static test data of three RC bridge pier specimens. The genetic algorithm is used to identify the parameters of the BWBN model and the MBW model. The results show that the MBW model proposed in this study exhibits higher computational efficiency and accuracy.