Seismic Fragility of Approach Bridge for the Large Port Terminals

In order to study the seismic performance of typical approach bridge for port project, the seismic vulnerability model was created. 100 of the earthquake motion records are selected from the database of Pacific Earthquake Research Centre, In order to obtain the maximum responses of structure dynamic response, the model was calculated by using non-linear time history analysis. Then reliability analysis method was used to generate the fragility curves of bridge components. And compared two kinds of bearing made differences to structure＇ s vulnerability. Researches show that bearing is easy to breakdown with earthquake action. Isolation bearing has good effect, and significantly reduces failure probability, fmaUy the fragility curves obtained can be used to evaluate the seismic performance of continuous beam bridge for port project, and provide the basis for seismic design of bridges for port project.

Settlement characteristics of bridge approach embankment based on scale model test

In order to analyze the effects of backfill materials, geometries and slab setting on the settlement of bridge approach embankment, scale model was built based on the structural characteristics of bridge approach embankment, and scale model tests were carried out under different conditions. The results show that when graded gravels were selected as the backfill materials, the effect of setting approach slab to reduce the differential settlement is more prominent. When lime soils were selected as the backfill material, approach slab can moderate the longitudinal settlement slope. When using different backfill materials, the ultimate settlement of the positive trapezoidal backfill geometries is less than that of the inverted trapezoid, and the backfill geometries have little effect on the settlement slope.

Mechanism of Geogrid Reinforced Soil at Bridge Approach

Using Geogrid-Reinforced Soil （GRS） we studied the working mechanism and design method of GRS at bridge approach with high backfill by field experiment. In a highway section where the height of backfill is 13.5 meters, geogrids were used at two bridge approaches to address the bumping problems. Some soil pressure cells were used to measure the normal and lateral soil pressure at different locations in the roadbed. The experimental results indicate that geogrids in geogrid-reinforced soil （GRS） could produce an uplift force, the closer the location to the abutment, the larger the uplift force, and the reduction of measured soil pressures compared with theoretical values was the largest at the bottom of roadbed, less at the top than at the bottom, and the least in the mid-height of roadbed than at the bottom. These findings are different from those of the traditional greogrid-reinforced subgrade design method,

Field study on performance of new technique of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankment at bridge approach

Vehicle bumps at a bridge approach caused by the differential settlement between a bridge and an adjacent backfill embankment are one of the most difficult problems in geotechnical engineering. Large vehicle bumps make drivers uncomfortable and cause large impact loads on vehicles and the bridge abutment. A new ground-improvement technique called fixed-geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankment(FGT embankment) was developed and used to alleviate vehicle bumps at a trial bridge-approach site located in central China. To distribute the differential settlement between the bridge and adjacent backfill embankment over a long transition zone, the following three techniques were used at the trial bridge-approach site:(a) the FGT embankment,(b) conventional geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankment(CT embankment), and(c) geosynthetic-reinforced embankment without piles(GR embankment). The performance of all three techniques in the field trial was investigated by field measurements involving earth pressure cells, geosynthetic deformation sensors, and settlement gauges. The FGT and CT embankments exhibited better performance than the GR embankment. Compared with the CT embankment, the FGT embankment was more effective at ground improvement. At an elevation of 4.0 m from the base of the embankment, the pressures below the geosynthetic were smaller than those above the geosynthetic at the closest measurement point. The difference between the pressures between above and below the geosynthetic tended to increase with the embankment height.

Investigation of differential movement at railroad bridge approaches through geotechnical instrumentation

Railway transitions experience differential movements due to differences in track system stiffness,track damping characteristics,foundation type,ballast settlement from fouling and/or degradation,as well as fill and subgrade settlement.This differential movement is especially problematic for high speed rail infrastructure as the 'bump' at the transition is accentuated at high speeds.Identification of different factors contributing towards this differential movement,as well as development of design and maintenance strategies to mitigate the problem is imperative for the safe and economical operation of both freight and passenger rail networks.This paper presents the research framework and initial instrumentation details from an ongoing research effort at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Three bridge approaches experiencing recurrent geometry problems were instrumented using multidepth deflectometers(MDDs) and strain gages to identify different factors contributing to the development of differential movements.