Hybrid Simulation of Bridge Response to Three-Dimensional Earthquake Excitation Followed by Truck Load

Abstract

A hybrid simulation approach is used to evaluate the traffic performance of a typical California highway overpass bridge after a major earthquake. The prototype bridge used in this study is a five-span single-column-bent reinforced concrete overpass. A hybrid model, composed of the physical column specimen and the OpenSees model of the remainder of the bridge, was assembled using the OpenFresco framework. Two hybrid simulation tests were performed on the same bridge for the same recorded ground motion scaled to represent two levels of seismic intensity: moderate and high. After the earthquake, loads corresponding to a heavy truck placed in the most critical positions on the bridge were applied on the hybrid model. The data obtained from these tests show that a typical California overpass bridge has the capacity to carry heavy truck loads immediately after a major earthquake event.