Towards probabilistic seismic performance of vehicle-bridge interaction systems: From stochastic dynamic model to fragility analysis

This paper aims to assess the seismic fragility of vehicle-bridge-interaction (VBI) systems considering the effects of vehicle types, traffic conditions, and road surface qualities. A stochastic nonlinear mechanical model for the earthquake-VBI system is developed, and the fragility functions for the proposed VBI model are derived by considering the relevant probabilistic seismic demand parameters. On the basis of a typical four-span continuous prestressed concrete highway bridge in China, a complete numerical model for the VBI system is built considering multiple uncertainties from bridge and vehicle parameters, as well as the road surface qualities. A total of 120 real ground motion records with different combinations of magnitude-source-to-site distance (M-R) and earthquake intensity characteristics are selected. Meanwhile, 80 scenarios in terms of different combinations of vehicle types, vehicle speeds, and road surface irregularities are defined. In this context, 96,000 nonlinear time-history analyses are performed, and the developed fragility models are applied to the VBI system at both component and system levels. Results indicate that the fragilities of pier drift, bearing shear strain, and the overall VBI system increase with the increase of the vehicle weight or the decrease of the vehicle speed, while the vertical deck displacement is dominated by the vehicle weight. It is also found that the road surface quality has a negligible effect on both component and system fragilities.

Automated summary

This paper aims to assess the seismic fragility of vehicle-bridge-interaction (VBI) systems considering the effects of vehicle types, traffic conditions, and road surface qualities. A stochastic nonlinear mechanical model is developed for the earthquake-VBI system, and the derived fragility functions consider relevant probabilistic seismic demand parameters. The study includes numerical modeling of a typical bridge, analysis of 120 different ground motion records, and evaluation of 80 scenarios with varying vehicle types, speeds, and road surface irregularities. The results show that vehicle weight and speed have significant effects on pier drift, bearing shear strain, and overall VBI system fragility, while road surface quality has a negligible effect.