An analytical study of residual displacements in RC bridge columns subjected to near-fault earthquakes

One of the important measures of post-earthquake functionality in bridges is residual displacement. This study focused on the analyses of six reinforced concrete bridge columns subjected to near fault ground motion using fiber elements to estimate the residual displacement. Another part of the study was aimed at determining the residual drift ratio limit beyond which bridge columns would be unsafe. The ability of models to estimate residual displacement was assessed by comparison of the results of the analyses to experimental data. It was determined that fiber element models were generally successful in estimating residual displacements. To determine residual displacement limits, a large number of reinforced concrete bridge columns with different geometries and steel ratios were analyzed subjected to truck loading. The residual moment capacity of the column and the moment due to the trucks and the P-Delta effects were used in the study. The residual drift ratio limit was found to be 1.2% or more for typical bridge columns.