Field Investigation and Numerical Analysis of Damage to a High-pier Long-span Continuous Rigid Frame Bridge in the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

Abstract

This paper summarizes a sophisticated field investigation of the seismic damage to a continuous rigid frame bridge. Cracking and deformation of main girder, failure of bearings, and damage of piers were examined. The whiplash effect of the long side span of main bridge caused the prominent damage of bearings and restrainers on the transition piers. A numerical model was developed for supplementary analysis. The multi-directional dynamic analyses were conducted, which revealed a satisfactory agreement with the field investigation. Based on the numerical model, the effect of anti-tensile configurations was analyzed for reducing the whiplash effect of the side span.