2009 Volume 55A Pages 653-661
Embedded Plastic Segment (EPS), which has been developped as a seismic retrofitting technique for existing steel bridge piers, can enhance the ductility with less increment in the ultimate strength of the column members. In this paper, the seismic performance of a viaduct of the total length 200m with 5 spans supported by the steel bridge piers with the EPS is analytically investigated. The effectiveness of the steel bridge piers with the EPS is revealed in comparison with a viaduct supported by concrete filled steel bridge piers. It is concluded that the EPS enables the reduction of the construction cost of piles and footing concrete and the enhancement of redundancy of the viaduct.
