ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF INITIAL IMPERFECTIONS ON THE CYCLIC HORIZONTAL LOAD-BEARING BEHAVIOR OF STEEL BRIDGE PIERS WITH RECTANGULAR STIFFENED CROSS-SECTIONS

Abstract

Stiffened rectangular steel piers, often used for bridges, provide high stiffness and buckling resistance. However, the seismic impact of initial imperfections remains unclear, as they can trigger buckling under cyclic horizontal loading, potentially reducing load capacity. This study utilized 3D finite element analysis on SBHS500 steel piers to assess this specific impact. Comparing models with and without these imperfections, the analysis indicated that the mechanical behavior was not clearly affected by the initial imperfection conditions considered in this investigation.