• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.21-32
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• 2004

A Seismic analysis procedure of bi-directional brideg motions is developed by using mechanical bridge model. A three-dimensional mechanical model can consider major phenomena under bi-directional seismic excitations, such as nonlinear pier motion under biaxial bending, pounding and bearing damage due to the rotaion of the superstructure, etc. The analyses utilizing the uni-directional and the bi-directional bridge model for the 3-span simply supported bridge are then performed. The seismic responses in two cases are examined and compared by investigating the relative displacements of each superstructure to both ground and adjacent superstructures and the restoring forces of RC pier. The analysis using either the uni-directional model or bi-directional model is acceptable for estimating the displacement responses of a bridge, but the bi-directional analysis is found to give more conservative results for resisting forces of RC piers. To make general conclusions, therefore, the analysis using the bi-directional bridge model should be performed in evaluating the seismic safety of bridges.