Field tests and simulation of Lion-Head River Bridge

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Fang, Yao-Min | Pu, Jun-Ping

Affiliations: Graduate Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 4 24517250 4549; Fax: +886 4 24516982; E-mail: ymfang@ms36.hinet.net | Department of Civil Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 4 24517250 3120; Fax: +886 4 24516982; E-mail: jppu@fcu.edu.tw

Abstract: Lion-Head River Bridge is a twin bridge in parallel position. The east-bounded was designed and constructed as a traditional prestress concrete box girder bridge with pot bearings; and the west-bounded was installed with seismic isolation devices of lead rubber bearings. The behavior of the isolated bridge is compared with that of the traditional bridge through several field tests including the ambient vibration test, the force vibration test induced by shakers, the free vibration test induced by a push and fast release system, and the truck test. The bridges suffered from various extents of damage due to the Chi-Chi and the Chi-I earthquakes of great strength during the construction and had been retrofitted. The damage was reflected by the change of the bridges' natural frequencies obtained from the ambient vibration tests. The models of the two bridges are simulated by the finite element method based on the original design drawings. Soil-structure interaction was also scrutinized in this study. The simulation was then modified based on the results from the field tests. Dynamic parameters of bridges are identified and compared with those from theoretical simulation. The efficiency is also verified to be better for an isolated bridge.

Keywords: Bridge, lead rubber bearings, field test

Journal: Shock and Vibration, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 181-228, 2007