Seismic Performance of Bridge Expansion Joints with and without Viscous Dampers during the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

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Bayraktar A., Taş Y., Akköse M., Hökelekli E., Ventura C. E., Yang T. Y.

Buildings, vol.14, no.8, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 14 Issue: 8
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.3390/buildings14082538
  • Journal Name: Buildings
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, Communication Abstracts, INSPEC, Metadex, Directory of Open Access Journals, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Keywords: bridge damage assessment, bridge expansion joint, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes on 6 February 2023, pot bearing, seismic pounding, shock transmission unit, viscous damper
  • Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Expansion joints render bridge structures highly vulnerable to damage during strong ground motions. Failures of expansion joints triggered by earthquakes not only jeopardize the post-earthquake serviceability of the bridge but also have a significant impact on the bridge’s overall seismic performance. Despite extensive investigations and efforts to integrate these measures into design specifications aimed at mitigating the consequences of relative movements between adjacent bridge spans, major earthquakes have still revealed instances of damage related to expansion joints. On 6 February 2023, strong earthquake sequences occurred in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, with magnitudes of M7.7 and M7.6. The fault lines and epicenters of these shallow earthquakes were near the city and town centers and caused severe structural damage to buildings and infrastructures. There are approximately 1000 railway and highway bridges in the earthquake-affected region. Although both highway and railway bridges have generally performed well, some bridges experienced structural damage during the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. A large number of damage on the bridges is due to pounding and opening relative movements in expansion joints. This paper presents a comprehensive seismic evaluation of expansion joint failure mechanisms on bridges without viscous dampers during the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequences and an in-depth investigation into the seismic performance of bridge expansion joints equipped with viscous dampers and shock transmission unit devices are implemented utilizing the strong ground motion data collected throughout the earthquake sequences. It can be stated that the near-fault induced significant directivity and fling effects, resulting in notable velocity pulses and permanent tectonic deformations, and that these effects contributed to the failures of expansion joints, viscous damper devices, pot bearings, and shear keys.