Effect of Frozen Ground on Seismic Response of Pile-Supported Bridge

Abstract

With the rapid development of China’s economy, the linear traffic infrastructure in the permafrost region has also developed rapidly. Many engineering problems in pile-supported bridges are caused by the freeze–thaw cycles and seismic activity on the roadbed when linear traffic passes over the frozen ground. Therefore, this study focused on the seismic response of a pile-supported bridge in frozen ground. A three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite-element (FE) model was established based on a pile-supported bridge, and various modeling techniques and methods were presented in detail. Specifically, the p−y curves in the frozen or unfrozen soil were calculated based on the experimental results from modeling the soil–pile interactions. Based on the computed results, the seismic response of a pile-supported bridge structure in the frozen ground was comprehensively investigated and compared with that in the unfrozen ground. The effect of the frozen ground on the seismic response of a bridge structure was systematically explored. The modeling technique and the derived insights could be significant for pile-supported bridges in frozen ground.