Earthquake-Induced Damage Assessment of Segmental Post-tensioned Precast Concrete Bridge Pier

Traffic disruptions and downtime due to bridge repair or replacement can cause significant socioeconomic losses. ‘Accelerated Bridge Construction’ (ABC) can minimize the impact of bridge construction on roadside safety by reducing the duration of on-site projects. Precast concrete bridge elements and systems have been recognized as key technology of ABC. However, they are significantly under-utilized in seismicity areas for bridge substructures. This is because the seismic design guidelines for using precast concrete have not been fully developed. The lack of code provisions stems from the challenge in the definition of appropriate damage states in relation to the functionality of the bridge. To address this challenge, the objective of this paper is to understand the damage modes of segmental post-tensioned precast concrete bridge pier under earthquake loading. In this respect, a nonlinear finite element approach is used to analyze the lateral load behaviour of precast concrete piers. Previous laboratory test results are collected to cover different design scenarios. The accuracy of the developed finite element model is experimentally validated by comparing the calculated and measured response in terms of a variety of seismic performance metrics, including lateral stiffness/strength and the variation of post-tension force versus lateral displacements. The validated finite element model is used to investigate the influence of energy dissipation bars on the damage condition and failure mode of the segmental precast concrete bridge pier.