Effect of Ground Motion Characteristics on the Seismic Response of a Monumental Concrete Arch Bridge

Railway network in Turkey dates back to more than a hundred years ago and according to official records, there are approximately 18,000 railway bridges with spans varying between 50 cm up to 150 meters. One of them is a monumental concrete arch bridge with a total length of 210 meters having three major spans of 30 meters and a height of 65 meters, located in an earthquake‐prone region in southern part of the country. Three‐dimensional finite element model of the bridge was generated using a commercially available general finite element analysis software and based on the outcomes of a series of in‐depth acceleration measurements that were conducted on‐site, the model was refined. Types of ground motion records were used to investigate the seismic response and vulnerability of this massive structure in order to provide information regarding (i) damage‐susceptible regions of the structure for monitoring purposes, and, (ii) seismic loads to be taken into account during evaluation and possible strengthening p...