Comparison of Seismic Retrofit Efficiencies of Base Isolation Systems for Existing Bridges

In recent modern protective systems have been introduced to reduce the vulnerability of bridges to seismic events. These protective systems include base isolation devices of different types, damping devices and active control devices. The objective of this study is to analytically evaluate the efficiency of a seismic retrofit scheme using base isolation systems, such as lead rubber bearings and sliding isolators. In this study, a triaxial model was used, which is capable of accurately developing the behavior of sliding isolators including the influence of the changing vertical force and velocity on the friction coefficients. Seismic response analyses of the bridge before and after retrofit were carried out by using a three-dimensional nonlinear seismic analysis program, IDARC-BRIDGE. To evaluate the efficiency of a retrofit scheme using triaxial isolators, a comparative study of performances of above two base isolation systems was conducted, and the numerical results show that the triaxial isolation solution can effectively reduce the sheat forces at the piers for the vertical ground motion.