Shear strength evaluation of RC solid piers of high-speed railway bridges in China

Piers are the main lateral force-resisting members of high-speed railway (HSR) bridges used in China and are characterized by low axial load ratios, low longitudinal reinforcement ratios, low stirrup ratios, and high shear span ratios. It is well known that flexural, flexural-shear, and shear failures of piers may occur during an earthquake. In this study, a new shear strength model was developed to simulate the seismic failure of HSR solid piers accurately. First, low cyclic-loading test data of solid piers obtained in recent years were collected to set up a database for model verification. Second, based on the test database, the applicability of existing shear strength models was evaluated. Finally, a new shear strength model for HSR solid piers with round-ended cross-sections was derived based on the truss model and ultimate equilibrium theory. In comparison with existing models, it was demonstrated that the proposed model could be used to predict the shear strength of HSR piers more accurately.