The Mechanical Properties of a New Corrugated Steel Plate Damper and Its Application in a Steel Arch Bridge

Abstract

An innovative application of a new corrugated steel plate damper (CSPD) in steel arch bridges is proposed to enhance their seismic performance. The mechanical properties of the CSPD were investigated by static and quasi-static parametric analysis using ABAQUS software, and validation of the CSPD finite element models was conducted by comparing the numerical results with published experimental results. The results indicate that the CSPD has desirable mechanical properties and hysteretic performance when the geometric design parameters lie within a reasonable range. Then a selected CSPD with reasonable geometric design parameters was installed on the side piers of upper-deck type steel truss arch bridge to explore the resulting improvement in the seismic behaviour of the original arch bridge. The displacement and force responses indicate that the selected CSPD can improve energy dissipation and the seismic behaviour of the arch bridge in transverse and longitudinal directions in major earthquakes.