• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.691-704
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• 2019

This study simulates the responses of large-scale bridge piers under pseudo-dynamic tests to investigate the performance of four types of numerical models that consider the nonlinear behavior of the pier and the rocking behavior of the footing. In the models, beam-column elements with plastic hinges are used for the pier, two types of foundation models (rotational spring and distributed spring models) are adopted for the footing behavior, and two types of viscous damping models (Rayleigh and dashpot models) are applied for energy dissipation. Results show that the nonlinear pier model combined with the distributed spring-dashpot foundation model can reasonably capture the behavior of the piers in the tests. Although the commonly used rotational spring foundation model adopts a nonlinear moment-rotation property that reflects the effect of footing uplift, it cannot suitably simulate the hysteretic moment-rotation response of the footing in the dynamic analysis once the footing uplifts. In addition, the piers are susceptible to cracking damage under strong seismic loading and the induced plastic response can provide contribution to earthquake energy dissipation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.5 no.2 s.17
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• pp.29-35
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• 2005

In Korea more than ninety bridges are collapsed every year by flood, which causes the scour of pier foundation. Researches on the quantitative assessment method to assess the integrity of bridge against scour have not been organized systematically in the bridge design practice and maintenance area. In this study, dynamic characteristics assessment experiments are carried out as an emergency inspection method to assess the integrity of the pier foundation for scour after a flood. According to the dynamic characteristics assessment experiment, which simulates foundation scour of the spread footing pier, foundation scour can be evaluated by the first mode natural frequency of the pier.

• International Journal of Railway
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

The steel plate-girder bridges with concrete gravity piers have possibilities of overturning by lateral inertial force which can be reproduced by sudden earthquake attack. This paper explores an overturning mechanism of existing concrete gravity pier onto the sandy soil in the event of lateral push-over load by in-situ experimental observation. The in-situ push-over experiment for pier with earth anchors between spread footing and rock beds exhibits a reasonable enhancement of ductility against overturning. In unanchored system, a flexural crack at cold joint of concrete pier is not developed because of the over-turning of the pier. This leads a global instability (rotation) of pier-footing system with relatively low stresses in pier itself. While a lateral load is persistently increased in anchored system, the successive flexural cracking failure at cold joint is observed even after the local shear failure of soil due to redistribution of stress equilibrium between soil and pier structure as long as a tensile action of anchor cable is active.