Performance-based seismic design of a continuous bridge Available to Purchase

Performance-based design (PBD) provides an insight into the expected performance of a designed structure during an earthquake. Over recent decades, considerable development on the PBD of buildings has taken place, but studies regarding the PBD of bridges are limited. This paper examines the estimated performance of a three-span continuous bridge designed using a codal procedure for the site-specific design response spectrum. A three-dimensional model of the bridge was developed using non-linear modelling of the piers. The response of the bridge was estimated using non-linear static and dynamic procedures. The effect of loading patterns and the accuracy of different pushover analysis methods were examined, and Fema-356 performance levels compared with limit states defined by Kowalsky. The performance of the bridge was studied for different values of the response reduction factor used in the design. The paper also discusses the advantages of PBD and pushover analysis.