Browsing by Author "Chen, Genda"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Structural Performance of Bridges in the Offshore Maule Earthquake of 27 February 2010
    (EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING RESEARCH INST, 2012) Buckle, Ian; Hube, Matias; Chen, Genda; Yen, Wen Huei; Arias, Juan
    Of the nearly 12,000 highway bridges in Chile, approximately 300 were damaged in this earthquake, including 20 with collapsed spans. Typical failure modes include damage to connections between super- and substructures, unseating of spans in skewed bridges due to in-plane rotation, and unseated spans with some column damage due to permanent ground movement. Unusual failure modes include unseating of spans in straight bridges due to in-plane rotation, plate girder rupture due to longitudinal forces, scour and pier damage due to tsunami action, and collapse of a historic masonry bridge. The most common damage mode was the failure of super-to-substructure connections (shear keys, steel stoppers, and seismic bars), which is the most likely reason for the low incidence of column damage. Whereas the fuse-like behavior of these components is believed to have protected the columns, the lack of adequate seat widths led to the collapse, or imminent collapse, of many superstructures. [DOI: 10.1193/1.4000031]