Hybrid simulation of retrofitted RC bridge with Fe based shape memory alloy

Abstract

Seismic retrofitting of RC bridge piers aims at improving its seismic performance by increasing its strength and ductility. Most common retrofitting techniques achieve this objective by addition of lateral confinement to concrete sections. Concrete confinement techniques can be divided into two main types - passive and active, based on the mechanism adopted to apply the confining pressure. Several studies have shown that active confinement outperforms passive confinement in terms of enhancing the strength and ultimate strain of concrete. This is because, prior application of confining pressure delays the initiation of damage in concrete. However, conventional active confinement techniques pose numerous constraints in-situ due to its need for specialized equipment and an excessive amount of time, money and labour, hence limiting its practical implementation. As a result, traditional passive confinement techniques have gained greater acceptance in the construction sector