DESIGN EXAMPLE 10.

6 RUAUMOKO
DESIGN VERIFICATION OF A 4-SPAN REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE (DESIGN EXAMPLE 10.5)

Structural Data

Material properties Structural geometry Support Conditions

fc = 30 MPa Piers: Piers

(fce = 39MPa) Dpier = 2.0 m WSS
fy = fyh = 420MPa HB,D = 16 m F
M1
(fye = 462 MPa) HC = 12 m L
fu/fy = 1.35 LAB = LDE = 40 m
LBC = LCD = 50 m
Reinforcement details: M2
dbl = 40 mm Deck:
Single Column, Multiple Bearing
c = 50 mm (clear cover) Centermass location 1 m
dbh = 20 mm above piers top
s = 100 mm Transverse moment of Shear keys connect the deck to
inertia ID = 40 m4 the abutments, which are
su,l = 0.10
mdeck = 190 kN/m allowed to displace no more
su,h = 0.12 than 0.040 m
Re-bars: Piers B-D: l = 1.88 Abutment stiffness = effective
%, Pier C: l = 1.60 % stiffness = 141302 kN/m

40m 50m 50m 40m

A 12m E
16m 16m
C

B D

Bridge Geometry

Modelling
the effect of strain penetration in footings at the piers base is considered, and rigid elements are
used to link the pier top to the deck centermass.
5% tangent-stiffness proportional damping has been used.

Z
Y
deck_AB 9 deck_BC 10 deck_CD 11 deck_DE 5=5*
1=1*
X rigid_B 1m rigid_C rigid_D
6 7
8
abut._A pier_C 12.407m abut._E
pier_B 16.407m 3 pier_D 16.407m
Nodes
Elements
2 4

Bridge Idealization
 1
0.9

displacement [m]
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 1 2 3 4
period [s]
Spectrum compatible records used for verification

Results
Results for the ensemble of 3 design spectrum compatible ground motions, lead to the following
conclusions:
Abutment strength and stiffness can have a significant impact on the magnitude of the
displacements at that location.
Analysis conducted with abutment stiffness as designed from DDBD can lead to underestimation
of abutment displacements due to dynamic amplification. Similar results are noted when
abutments are modelled as elasto-plastic.
Designing abutments for a strength and stiffness that is approximately twice as large as that
required from the design allows for consideration of dynamic amplification effects.

0.6 200
Displacement (m)

ITHA 160
Moment (MNm)

ITHA Design
0.4
120
Design
80
0.2
40

0 0
0 80 120 40 160 0 40 80 120 160
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(a) Design, Elastic Abutments(Displacement envelopes; Moment envelopes)

0.6 200
Design
Displacement (m)

ITHA ave Design 160

Moment (MNm)

ITHA ave
0.4
120

80
0.2
40

0 0
0 80 120 40 160 0 40 80 120 160
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(b) Design, Elasto-plastic abutments (Displacement envelopes; Moment envelopes)
Displacement, (m) 0.6 200
ITHA, ave Design 160

Moment (MNm)
ITHA, ave
0.4 Design
120

80
0.2
40

0 0
0 40 80 120 160 0 40 80 120 160
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(c) Revised, Elasto-plastic abutments (Displacement envelopes; Moment envelopes)