Special Lateral Seismic Joints on Bridges

Abstract

Bridges are some of the most important structures in infrastructure and transportation system. They are design to sustains traffic loads and environmental actions. The selection of structural type and joints details are a challenge for structural engineer. Different structures types behaves in a different ways. A statically determine structures give a good behaviour to environmental action as temperature and ground displacement. Usually they are indifferent tothis action, but they do not give a good performance due to earthquake loading. On the other side, the statically undetermined structures, gives a good performance due to earthquake action,but they express additional stresses under the change in temperature or ground displacement.So, it's wise to think for intelligent structures, which demonstrate the best characteristics and behaviour under different types of loadings and actions. In this study is observed the behaviour of transportation bridge with a traditional joints and intelligent joints.The intelligent joints consist of a dashpot filled with high viscose silicon. To the low rateof velocities, the silicon can flow through the chambers of dashpot without resistance. For highrate of velocities, the silicon react as solid body and prohibit the movement.Mounting this dashpot in bridge joint, depending upon the rate velocities of themovement, the structures will react in intelligent manner. Under the temperature gradient, therates are to slow, and the dashpot does not act as a restrain. Under the seismic loads, the rates are rather high, and the dashpot act as a restrain. So, we got the same structures, but behavingaccordantly to the loading or actions exposed.Through different case analyses, the behaviour of the structures is observed. Some essentials results and comments are derived.