Seismic Performance Assessment of Multi-Span Continuous Railway Bridges Across a Symmetrical V-Shaped Canyon Considering the Near-Source Topographic Effect

Abstract

<p>Topographic features have remarkable influences on the characteristics of ground motions, which may cause the amplification of input seismic waves. The objective of this study is to numerically explore the near-source topographic effects on the seismic behaviors of an existing railway bridge crossing a symmetrical V-shaped canyon. Numerical results demonstrated that the topographic effects can noticeably amplify the seismic responses of the bridge. Compared to the bridge without crossing a canyon, the peak displacement of the girder and pier in the case of the canyon- crossing bridge increases by 15.2% and 2.9%-14.5%, respectively. The piers at the illuminated side of the canyon experience larger seismic responses compared to the piers at the shaded side of the canyon due to the unequal motion amplitudes at each support.</p>