SGER: Joint US-Slovenia Study of Simple Modeling of Bridge Seismic Response

公路桥梁向基于性能的抗震设计和改造方向发展，迫切需要对桥梁抗震性能的分析建模和计算机模拟进行创新。由于桥梁在强震作用下结构性能的复杂性和系统响应的高度非线性，计算机仿真必须与试验数据进行验证才能确定其可靠性。本文的目的是研究桥梁在地震荷载作用下的非线性模型。这些模型将基于内华达大学雷诺分校进行的模型桥梁振动台测试的测量响应。该研究的数值模拟部分的一个特定子任务将与斯洛文尼亚卢布利雅那大学(ULJ)的研究人员合作进行。研究将集中在多跨高架桥的分析方法上，这些高架桥具有连续桥面和不同高度的桥墩。这种结构的特点使它们的反应变得复杂，并引入了重要的更高模式。这项研究将极大地提高对桥梁在地震荷载作用下的倒塌响应的认识，并为桥梁设计评估提供新的分析模型。桥梁系统是最复杂的结构系统之一，由于其具有不同的部件(基础、下部结构、桥台、铰链和上部结构)，因此需要对其进行地震性能模拟。经过验证的模拟在桥梁设计中是必要的，以便工程师可以评估不同设计的响应，了解对不确定参数的敏感性，并提供有关预期性能的信息。关于模拟的研究结果将被提炼成全面的指导方针，供桥梁设计和研究人员使用。拟议的国际合作的教育益处将是重要的。来自两国的研究生将与其他国家的研究人员密切互动。这些学生将接受地震工程研究和设计方面的培训，并将接触到国际观点和观点。与斯洛文尼亚在这一领域的专家交流想法和数据将使美国参与者能够推进他们自己的工作，并开发可整合到教育和实践中的工具。对了解国际问题的熟练人才的培训将增加美国科学劳动力的人力，并将改善在全球市场上从事更先进的设计和研究工作的劳动力池。

The move towards performance-based seismic design and retrofit of highway bridges has created an urgent need for innovations in analytical modeling and computer simulation of the seismic performance of bridges. Due to the complexity of structural performance of bridges during strong earthquakes and the high degree of nonlinearity in system response, computer simulations have to be verified with experimental data to establish their reliability. The purpose of this study is to investigate nonlinear models of nonlinear bridge response to seismic loads. These models will be based on measured responses of shake table tests of model bridges undertaken at the University of Nevada at Reno. A specific subtask in the numerical simulation part of the study is to be undertaken in collaboration with researchers from the University of Ljublijana (ULJ), Slovenia. The research will be focused on the analytical methodologies appropriate for multi-span viaducts having continuous deck and piers of different heights. Such structures have characteristics that complicate their response and introduce important higher modes. The research will greatly improve the understanding of bridge response to collapse under seismic loads and provide new analytic models for evaluating bridge designs.Bridge systems are one of the most complex structural systems to model for earthquake performance because of the number of different components (foundations, substructures, abutments, hinges, and superstructure). Verified simulation is necessary in bridge design so that engineers can assess the response of different designs, understand the sensitivity to uncertain parameters, and provide information on the expected performance. The results of the research findings on simulation will be distilled into comprehensive guidelines to be used by bridge designers and researchers. The educational benefits of the proposed international collaboration will be important. Graduate students from both countries will closely interact with researchers from other countries. These students will be trained in earthquake engineering research and design and will be exposed to international views and perspectives. The exchange of ideas and data with Slovenian experts in this field will enable U.S. participants to advance their own work and develop tools that can be integrated in education and practice. The training of skilled individuals with an understanding of international issues will enhance the manpower in the US scientific work force and will improve the labor pool for more advanced design and research work in the global market.