LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT BRIDGES FROM EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN

Abstract

On September 21, 1999, central Taiwan experienced a destructive earthquake with thousands of lives lost and buildings felled. Highway bridges, including those constructed under modern seismic design codes, were severely damaged. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and Communication formed an investigative team to evaluate Taiwanese highway bridge performance under the 1999 Chi-chi earthquake. This paper presents the preliminary findings and lessons learned from the team's investigation, conducted November 15-17, 1999.