EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON RESISTANCE CAPACITY OF STEEL BEARING SUPPORTS IN BRIDGES UNDER TSUNAMI-INDUCED LOADING

Abstract

 In this study, a bridge model with steel pot bearings is tested to investigate the resistance capacity of bearing supports under tsunami-induced loading. The load is applied in a direction of 60 degree to the horizontal direction based on the results of the flume test for the bridge model. As a result, it is found that the ultimate damage of the bearing supports due to the uplift force is caused by the fracture of the bolts for fixing the side block, and the maximum load exceeded the capacity of bearing supports estimated by the standard design procedure. Furthermore, an analytical approach for estimating the vertical capacity of the steel bearing supports with the simple frame model is proposed based on the comparison with the loading test results.