Parametric and pushover analyses on integral abutment bridge

Abstract

Abstract Integral abutment bridges (IABs) are jointless bridges where the girder or the deck is continuous and monolithically connected to the abutments. A usual and important problem in the design of IABs is how to deal with the soil–structure interaction behind the abutments and next to the foundation piles: this can be considered as a fundamental aspect to reach a thorough understanding of this type of structure, which requires iterative and nonlinear analysis. In this paper, a 2D simplified finite-element model of a real 400-metre-long IAB, built in the Province of Verona-Italy, is implemented and used to perform non-linear analyses on the bridge, the structural response of which is then examined in detail. A parametric study based on the variation of the soil properties behind the back-walls and around the piles is then performed. Furthermore, a temperature pushover analysis (non linear static analysis for positive and negative temperature variations) is carried out to assess the failure pattern of the bridge caused by a temperature change, considered as one of the key parameters in IAB design. Lastly, the effect of abutment stiffness is also discussed.