Seismic performance of RC Circular Piers with Medium and Low Shear Span Ratio under Compression, Bending and Torsion action

Because of its structural asymmetry, seismic response of the curved bridge is complicated, and more susceptible to suffer such earthquake damage as girder falling, collapse, pier bending and shearing damage and so on. However, the experimental research on the RC circular pier column with medium to low shear span ratio under the coupling force of the bending, shearing, and torsion actions is still limited in China. Based on a small radius curve bridge in Beijing, four circular RC pier specimens with medium to low shear span ratio are tested and detailly compared in this paper. By analyzing the test results, the failure characteristics of the pier column are obtained, and the horizontal load-displacement skeleton curves and the torque-angle skeleton curves were concluded and compared in this paper. After that, the seismic performance of the pier column is comprehensively analyzed. The results of this paper not only enrich the current seismic design theory of urban curved bridges, but also provide technical support and scientific reference for the seismic design of similar bridges.