Post-earthquake Traffic Capacity of Modern Bridges in California

Book excerpt: The test results were then used to calibrate a finite element model of a bridge column. This bridge column model was incorporated into a hybrid model of a typical California overpass bridge and tested using the hybrid simulation technique. The finite element model of the typical California overpass bridge was validated using the data from hybrid simulations. The validated model of the typical bridge was used to evaluate its post-earthquake truck load capacity in an extensive parametric study that examined the effects of different ground motions and bridge modeling parameters such as the boundary conditions imposed by the bridge abutments, the location of the truck on the bridge, and the amount of bridge column residual drift. The principal outcomes of this study are the following findings.