Elasto-plastic response of steel bridge pier base joint under seismic loading

In this study, the elasto-plastic response of a whole structure, including both superstructures and substructures, was estimated by means of dynamic elasto-plastic finite element analysis, and the elasto-plastic strain history at the top end of triangular ribs was estimated by means of static elasto-plastic finite element analysis using the results obtained by dynamic elasto-plastic finite element analysis. As a result, displacement response of the steel bridge pier can be estimated by means of dynamic elasto-plastic finite element analysis. The maximum displacement response delta(max) is 207 mm and the minimum displacement response delta(max) is -291 mm at the top of column in the case of a 0.03 damping coefficient. By means of static elasto-plastic finite element analysis, it was shown that there was a possibility that the maximum strain range (Delta epsilon(ymax)) can exceed 20% at the top end of triangular ribs.