Mise en conformite sismique des ponts par isolation de la base--application au pont Madrid au Quebec

• Published in: Canadian journal of civil engineering Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Guizani, Lotfi, Chaallal, Omar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa NRC Research Press 01.01.2011; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Bridges; Civil engineering; Construction costs; Design and construction; Earthquake resistant design; Earthquakes; Highway construction; Maintenance and repair; Mechanical properties; Seismic activity; Seismic engineering; Canada; Quebec Canada
• ISSN: 0315-1468; 1208-6029
• DOI: 10.1139/L10-104

New technologies based on seismic isolation are gaining popularity among engineers given the savings on construction costs. The long-term advantage of these technologies preserve the serviceability of the structure after an earthquake and eliminate the cost of reconstruction. This advantage is critical for "emergency" bridges, required to remain operational after an earthquake. The present article examines a method of isolating the foundation of existing bridges as part of a seismic retrofitting effort. This approach is supported by the increasing interest in this method, especially since its adoption by the Canadian standards and due to the fact that engineers are not too familiar with non-linear dynamic design methods. Another source of motivation is the opportunity to apply this technique to the refection of a few Quebec bridges. The steps of the antiseismic calculations as well as the results of non-linear analyses pertaining to the Madrid Bridge are presented and discussed. This paper may become a useful tool for engineers and their projects of retrofitting existing bridges.