CORRELATIVE INVESTIGATIONS ON THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF A MODEL BRIDGE STRUCTURE

This report is one in a series to result from the investigation, 'An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Existing Bridge Design Methodology in Providing Adequate Structural Resistance to Seismic Disturbances', sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Descriptions are given of the correlations between analytical and experimental seismic responses of a model bridge structure which was constructed to have the same features as the typical full-scale high curved highway bridge structure. Modifications of the previously reported mathematical procedures for simulating the nonlinear behavior of expansion joints are presented. These include subdividing the time interval of integration and applying an equilibrium correlation at the end of each interval and each subinterval. Correlations of displacement response of the bridge model carried out for the three different excitations are described. Parameter studies conducted to assist in the interpretation of correlation results are presented and the characteristics of the dynamic behavior of the bridge model are discussed. Finally, based on the correlation results presented, general conclusions are deduced and summarized.