• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.435-445
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• 2019

The collapses of curved bridges are mainly caused by the damaged columns, subjected to the combined loadings of axial load, shear force, flexural moment and torsional moment, under earthquakes. However, these combined loadings have not been fully investigated. This paper firstly investigated the mechanical characteristics of the bending-torsion coupling effects, based on the seismic response spectrum analysis of 24 curved bridge models. And then 9 reinforced concrete (RC) and circular column specimens were tested, by changing the bending-tortion ratio (M/T), axial compression ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio and spiral reinforcement ratio, respectively. The results show that the bending-torsion coupling effects of piers are more significant, along with the decrease of girder curvature and the increase of pier height. The M/T ratio ranges from 6 to 15 for common cases, and influences the crack distribution, plastic zone and hysteretic curve of piers. And these seismic characteristics are also influenced by the compression ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio and spiral reinforcement ratios of piers.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-62
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• 2001

This paper is focused on the torsional effects that are induced on bridge piers by unbalanced wind buffeting on the deck during double cantilever erection stages. The case of decks with variable cross section is considered in particular as this characteristic is typical of most frame bridges that are built by the cantilever method. The procedure outlined in the paper is basically an application of the method that Dyrbye and Hansen (1996) have illustrated for decks with constant cross section. This format was chosen because it is suitable for design purposes and may easily be implemented in structural codes. As a complement, the correspondence with the format that is adopted in the Canadian code (NBCC 1990) for the gust factor is established, which might be useful to bridge designers used to the North-American approach to the gust effects on structures. Only alongwind turbulence and horizontal movements of the deck are considered. The combination of torsional and bending effects is also discussed and it is illustrated with an example of application.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.1467-1486
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• 2016

This research focuses on seismic performance of a class of single pier skewed bridges with three different pier-deck connections; skew angles vary from $0^{\circ}$ to $60^{\circ}$. A well-documented four span continuous deck bridge has been modeled and verified. Seat-type connections with fixed and sliding bearings plus monolithic pier-deck connections are studied. Shear keys are considered either fully operational or ineffective. Seismic performances of the bridges and the structural components are investigated conducting bidirectional nonlinear time history analysis in OpenSees. Several global and intermediate engineering demand parameters (EDP) have been studied. On the basis of results, the values of demand parameters of skewed bridges, such as displacement and rotation of the deck plus plastic deformation and torsional demand of the piers, increase as the skew angle increases. In order to eliminate the deck collapse probability, the threshold skew angle is considered as $30^{\circ}$ in seat-type bridges. For bridges with skew angles greater than $30^{\circ}$, monolithic pier-deck connections should be applied. The functionality of shear keys is critical in preventing large displacements in the bearings. Pinned piers experience considerable ductility demand at the bottom.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.477-487
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• 2019

Understanding the behavior of skew bridges under the action of earthquakes is quite challenging due to the combined transverse and longitudinal responses even under unidirectional hit. The main goal of this research is to assess the response of skew bridges when subjected to longitudinal and transversal earthquake loading. The effect of skew on the response considering two- and three- span bridges with skew angles varying from 0 to 60 degrees is illustrated. Various pier fixities (and hence stiffness) and cross-section shapes, as well as different abutment's bearing articulations, are also studied. Finite-element models are established for modal and seismic analyses. Around 900 models are analyzed under the action of the code design response spectrum. $Vis-{\grave{a}}-vis$ modal properties, the higher the skew angle, the less the fundamental period. In addition, it is found that bridges with skew angles less than 30 degrees can be treated as straight bridges for the purpose of calculating modal mass participation factors. Other monitored results are bearings' reactions at abutments, shear and torsion demand in piers, as well as deck longitudinal displacement. Unlike straight bridges, it has been typically noted that skew bridges experience non-negligible torsion and bi-directional pier base shears. In a complementary effort to assess the accuracy of the conducted response spectrum analysis, a series of time-history analyses are applied under seven actual earthquake records scaled to match the code design response spectrum and critical comparisons are performed.