A study on preventing the fall of skew and curved bridge decks by using rubber bearings

The paper deals with preventing the collapse of deck structures of skew and curved bridgesduring earthquakes, by the means of supporting the bridges by rubber bearings and permitting poundingbetween the decks and the abutments. Seismic response during pounding is characterized by variousphenomena, such as the caging of bridge decks between abutments during an earthquake or deckspopping out. These behaviors depend on only a small difference in seismic intensity. Regarding the globalcharacteristics of a seismic response, smaller clearance between a deck and its abutments results in smallerimpact damage of the abutments as well as lesser deformation of the rubber bearings. Similarly, smallerclearance between a deck and the side blocks results in smaller damage. The stiffnesses of the bearingsand the stiffness ratio between them control the deck displacement. In short to medium length bridges,zero clearance between a deck and the abutments or the deck and the side blocks is the most effectiveway in preventing the deck from falling and limits the damage to the abutments or the side blocks.