Abstract
In seismically active areas, knowledge of the actual behavior of bridges under seismic load is extremely important, as they are crucial elements of the transport infrastructure. To assess their seismic resistance, it is necessary to know the key indicators of their seismic response. Bridges built before the adoption of standards for seismic detailing may still contain structural reserves due to the properties of the used materials and construction approach. For example, smooth reinforcement which is found in older bridges due to the material properties, detailing principles, and lower bond strength compared to ribbed reinforcement, allows for greater deformations. In bridges, columns are vital elements employed in the dissipation of seismic energy. Their cross-sections often deviate from the regular square, rectangular, or round cross-sections, which are typically found in building. Based on the behavior of the columns in the vicinity of potential plastic joints, we can determine their deformability. This paper presents an experimental study of seismic resistance indicators around a potential plastic joint for a column with an atypical cross-section, without seismic details and with smooth reinforcement. The experimental results are compared with the numerical and analytical, but also with the experimental results on samples with ribbed reinforcement. Conclusions are made about the behavior of such column elements and their seismic resistance indicators, allowing for the application of an analytical or numerical method with realistic material and element properties and derivation of correction factors due to the effect of the smooth-reinforcement slippage from the anchorage area.
Highlights
The assessment of the condition of existing bridges and their appropriate and optimal maintenance plan is certainly an issue that will take priority over the design of new transport infrastructure in the near future
The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to define the seismic resistance indicators of the columns of the existing bridge, which have an atypical cross-section with smooth reinforcement and without seismic details
The same can be concluded by observing the other two cross-sections in which the relative deformations have been measured, determining the ratio of moment and rotation of the crosssection. From this it can be concluded that the specimen made with ribbed reinforcement has a higher load bearing capacity than the specimens made with smooth reinforcement
Summary
The assessment of the condition of existing bridges and their appropriate and optimal maintenance plan is certainly an issue that will take priority over the design of new transport infrastructure in the near future. We often use cross-sections of columns that differ from these two typical shapes, i.e., crosssections for which a detailed M/φ analysis is required to obtain information about their rotational capacity. The accurate determination of the bending moment to rotation diagram of reinforced concrete sections is a reliable indicator of the bearing capacity of elements under seismic loads [30,31]. In areas with high shear stresses, such as in sections around cracks, relative deformations between concrete and reinforcement occur For this reason, the slip effect must be used as a parameter when analyzing the behavior of the structural element [32]. The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to define the seismic resistance indicators of the columns of the existing bridge, which have an atypical cross-section with smooth reinforcement and without seismic details.
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