Performance-based seismic design of bridges: a global perspective and critical review of past, present and future directions

Abstract

The concept of performance-based design (PBD) originated several decades ago and has been evolving since. PBD in its current form aims at achieving one or more predicted performance levels after pre-defined hazards. This paper reviews the fundamentals, evolutions and the current practices of PBD for bridges. The review starts with damage states proposed by researchers, design criteria used in different jurisdictions, along with loss estimate methodologies. The code review covers the United States, Canada, New Zealand, China, Japan and Europe. A case study is performed to compare the various design codes. Among the reviewed codes, the Canadian Code (CSA S6-14) has the most stringent criteria. Apart from reviewing current practices, challenges are also discussed. Most design codes quantify the damage of columns but are not clear on the damage states of other components (e.g. foundations, joints). Bridge damage states are not directly related to residual vertical load capacity after earthquakes, which pose difficulty in predicting traffic interruptions. To address this issue, this study suggests a vertical load capacity factor, which needs to be further investigated in future research. At the end of the review, damage avoidance designs are briefly discussed, which are expected to further improve seismic resistance of bridges.

Keywords:

• Bridge
• performance-based design
• seismic analysis
• earthquake hazard
• design code
• damage states
• seismic design criteria

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Acknowledgments

The financial support provided by NSERC and CPCI are gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. The first author also appreciates the support and guidance he received from Dr. Jianping Jiang, Mr. Saqib Khan, Mr. Keith Holmes and many other colleagues at WSP Group Vancouver office. Opinions expressed in this paper are the authors’ and are not those of supporting organisations.

Additional information

Funding

The work presented here was carried out under the support from WSP Group, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI).