Experimental studies on the seismic performance of socket bridge pier with connection reinforcement

With the rapid development of urban transportation, socket bridge piers have received extensive attention from many scholars because of their obvious advantages. However, due to the existence of wet joints in socket piers, its seismic performance is different from that of cast-in-place piers, so that its application in high intensity zones are limited. In this paper, a novel socket connection method is proposed in which the connection reinforcements are arranged at the bottom of the pier and the pocket of the foundation slab. The seismic performance of precast column-foundation socket connection (PCF) specimen and cast-in-place (CIP) specimen are investigated by quasistatic test. And the finite element model is proposed that bond slip between reinforcements and concrete. The test results show that the peak load F, initial stiffness E0, accumulate dissipation capacity, and the ductile properties of the PCF specimens are basically the same as that of the CIP, but the equivalent viscous damping coefficients xi hys and residual displacements are lower than those of the CIP specimens. Experimental results verified that the finite element model is adequate to predict the seismic response of a precast column with socket connection. When the embedment depth of the pier is 0.67 times the cross-sectional height and the connecting reinforcement is arranged at the bottom of the pier and the pocket of the foundation slab, the seismic performance of the socketed pier is basically the same as that of the cast-in-place pier.