THE SOPHISTICATION OF ELEMENT MODELING FOR SEISMIC RESPONSE ANALYSIS OF LONG SPAN BRIDGES BY USING A LARGE SCALE COMPUTING

Abstract

This study undertakes a large scale computing by using supercomputer to obtain non-linier seismic behaviors of a long span cable-stayed bridge. The main objectives of the study are to verify the computation accuracy and to examine whether the sophisticated structural element modelling can accurately reproduce non-linear seismic behaviors of bridge members as estimated. The target bridge of the analysis is a long span cable-stayed bridge in Kobe which was severely damaged by Hyogo-ken Nanbu Earthquake in 1995.
Through the comparison between real situations of damaged members observed after the earthquake and reproduced damage situations the analysis with same seismic input, it is verified the accuracy of the calculation and the good reproducibility of the member damage by the proposed structural element modelling. This paper describes the detail contents and results of this large scale model analysis.