Seismic Behavior of Bridges with Deep Foundations under Effects of Scouring

A majority of the highly populated regions of the world are susceptible to multiple natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical storms, inundation and flooding. In such regions, the potential multiple hazards that could cause damage and destruction of the constructed facilities are growing higher. To achieve an appropriate structural performance and to decrease the destructive effect of the natural hazards, a multiple hazard analysis is required. The current paper studies the combined effects of scouring and earthquake, as two uncorrelated extreme events, on the performance of reinforced concrete highway bridges. The results of the analysis indicate that the lateral load-bearing capacity of bridges is significantly affected with the increase in the scour depth which makes them more vulnerable to the future earthquakes. The outcome of this study directly contributes to the development of a multi-hazard framework for the performance-based design and assessment of highway bridges.