Seismic Assessment And Retrofit Of Existing Multi Column Bent Bridges

The main objective of this research was to assess the seismic vulnerability of typical pre-1975 WSDOT prestressed concrete multi-column bent bridges. Additional objectives included determining the influence of soil-structure-interaction on the bridge assessment and evaluating the effects of non-traditional retrofit schemes on the global response of the bridges. Overall this research highlighted the vulnerability of non-monolithic bridge decks and shear-dominating bridge columns in pre-1975 WSDOT prestressed concrete multi-column bent bridges as well as the importance of including soil-structure-interaction, calibrating the force/displacement characterization of the columns to experimental test data and detailed modeling of the bridges such as expansion joint/girder interaction. In the end, the seismic assessment of bridges is a cost/efficiency issue. Each bridge is different, therefore, investing in improved analyses up front will enable an efficient use of the limited funds for bridge improvement, resulting in a significant savings overall.