PEER Reports

This report describes the research and application of ground motion and damage correlation models affecting risk assessment for spatially distributed lifeline systems with specific emphasis on transportation networks. Deterministic and probabilistic seismic risks of the system are assessed for direct structural loss and network reliability. As a result of potentially underestimating system risk, high-cost economic decisions may be conservative.

Two different ground motion correlation models are developed and compared. The sensitivity of loss uncertainty to damage correlation is...

It is important to characterize the performance of bridges during earthquakes because they are integral components of transportation networks. Loss of bridge function can have severe
economic consequences, and consequences to life safety when bridges are critical links in lifelines to emergency facilities, which are particularly important after a disasters. Although damage to other elements can have economic and life-safety impacts, reinforced concrete columns are often the most vulnerable elements in a bridge, and column failure can have catastrophic consequences.

The objective...

Multiple-span reinforced concrete highway overpass bridges constitute a large portion of the total inventory of bridges in California, particularly among bridges of new design. Probabilistic valua- tion of performance of these bridges under rare but strong ground motions is therefore essential for successful evaluation of the entire regional transportation network performance during and after an earthquake. Additionally, probabilistic quantification of bridge seismic performance and vulnerability provides insight into the shortcomings of current designs and into the potential advantages of...

The goal of the research described in this report was to generate experimental data with which to study bar buckling in reinforced concrete columns. Eight circular columns, reinforced with longitudinal bars and circumferential spirals, were constructed and tested under constant axial load and cyclic lateral displacements. In the first four specimens, different displacement histories were used, including two highly asymmetric histories. In the second four specimens, the strength and stiffness of the spiral were the study parameters, which were varied independently. The columns were heavily...