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Cumulative Seismic Damage of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers
Published
Author(s)
S K. Kunnath, A El-Bahy, A W. Taylor, William C. Stone
Abstract
A comprehensive experimental study was undertaken in this research effort to investigate cumulative damage in reinforced concrete circular bridge piers. Twelve identical quarter-scale bridge columns, designed and fabricated in accordance with current AASHTO specifications, were tested in two phases. Phase 1 testing consisted of benchmark tests to establish the monotonic force-deformation envelope, the energy capacity under standard cyclic loads, and constant amplitude tests to determine the low-cycle fatigue characteristics of the bridge column. Phase 2 testing was composed of a series of analytically predicted displacement amplitudes representing the bridge response to earthquakes. The results of Phase 1 testing provided information on the fatigue behavior of reinforced concrete and Phase 2 provided data on the effects of load path on cumulative damage.
Kunnath, S.
, El-Bahy, A.
, Taylor, A.
and Stone, W.
(1997),
Cumulative Seismic Damage of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.6075
(Accessed October 14, 2025)