Self-centering rocking steel bridge piers for seismic regions

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The proposed research will introduce prefabricated post-tensioned steel bridge pier that will not only enable structures to be built faster but also help structures self-center after major earthquakes. Performance-based design is becoming a standard practice for seismic design and evaluation of structures in order to achieve a reliable and satisfactory level of performance. However, there has been no study on the seismic performance of such self-centering bridge structures. This research will help develop proper understanding and knowledge about the behavior of such bridges through extensive nonlinear finite element simulation, laboratory experiment through quasi-static reverse cyclic loading and shake table testing. The numerical simulations and extensive testing will be performed to determine the effect of different parameters including the steel strength, dimensions, amount of post-tensioning force and energy dissipator characteristics on its behavior, and the design requirements. This will help us develop performance-based design guideline for such bridges, which will be further validated by designing and fabricating steel bridge piers as per the proposed guideline and testing them on shake table. This study stems from a previous NSERC Engage grant pursued with Rapid Span Group, which is now translated into a four year research project supported by Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC), Rapid Span Group, Emil Anderson Construction (EAC), Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) and S-FRAME Software Inc. This project will assist engineers/practitioners in examining the interaction among different components of the bridge under lateral loads, and evaluate its limit states, and determine adequate section sizes and connection details and provide design guidelines. The overarching goal of this research project is to fill a major worldwide gap in creating innovative, rapid, low-cost and reliable construction for structural systems. The proposed prefabricated steel elements, connected through post-tensioning and innovative fastening devices will not only enable structures to be built faster but also help structures self-center after major earthquakes. This research will position Canada as a global leader in this field.