Static Deformations of Bridges From Quick‐Release Dynamic Experiments

Abstract

This paper illustrates the application of a new method for performing baseline corrections on accelerograms generated by the quick‐release method. These accelerograms are produced when highway bridges are subjected to dynamic excitiations by initially deforming the structure and subsequently quick‐releasing the loads causing the deformations. In the past, the displacements caused by the quick‐release loads have not been recovered because an adequate correction procedure was not available. A baseline‐correction method was developed such that the step‐function character of the quick‐release baseline is preserved. This feature allows the complete static deformation state to be recovered by integrating the accelerograms. The power of the method is demonstrated by applying it to a suite of quick‐release data obtained during full‐scale field tests of the Meloland Road Overcrossing located near El Centro, California. As a result, complete static deformations of this bridge are obtained as a by‐product of the dynamic experiments.