Seismic Performance of a Bridge Column Based on E-Defense Shake-Table Excitations

Abstract

As part of a major study on the seismic response of bridges by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan, a full-scale column incorporating an advanced material – polypropylene fiber reinforced cement composites (PFRC) at the plastic hinge region and part of the footing was recently tested on the E-Defense shake-table of NIED. The column was subjected to three components of the near-field ground motion recorded at the JR Takatori station during the 1995 Kobe, Japan earthquake. Excitations were repeated under increased mass and increased intensity of ground motion. After six times of excitation, experimental results showed that use of PFRC substantially mitigated cover concrete damage and local buckling of longitudinal bars . Measured strains of tie reinforcements and cross-ties at the plastic hinge were also smaller. Moreover, there was no visible damage in the core concrete at the plastic hinge after the series of excitations. The damage sustained by the column using PFRC was much less than the damage of regular reinforced concrete columns.