Cyclic Response of Precast, Hollow Bridge Columns with Postpour Section and Socket Connection

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) has been used extensively to achieve rapid construction, to reduce traffic congestion and environmental impacts, and to ensure reliable quality control. Precast columns are typically precast with a solid section and then inserted into a socket foundation that is deeper than the maximum dimensions of the column section. To reduce the weight of the precast column and foundation for easy transportation and assembly, an alternative solution was proposed that uses a hollow section column with high-strength concrete and a foundation with a shallow socket. After the column was erected, postpour concrete (PPC) was then poured into the hollow column to a certain depth to strengthen the shear capacity in the plastic hinge region. Two precast columns with different depths of the PPC were investigated experimentally by cyclic loading test and were compared with a cast-in-place (CIP) reference column. The cyclic loading test results showed that the precast, hollow, high-strength concrete column with socket connection exhibited emulative seismic performance of the CIP reference. A deeper PPC section shows to improve the energy-dissipating capacity of the precast column. The effect of the PPC depth on the precast column and footing was investigated both experimentally and numerically.

Automated summary

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is widely used to achieve rapid construction, reduce traffic congestion and environmental impacts, and ensure reliable quality control. This study proposes an alternative solution using hollow section columns and shallow socket foundations to reduce the weight of precast columns and foundations. Experimental results show that utilizing postpour concrete can enhance the shear capacity of precast columns, and deeper postpour concrete sections can improve the energy dissipating capacity of precast columns.