Investigation of Seismic Behavior of the Historical Yeşiltepe Bridge

Abstract

Historic arch bridges, a common feature of Turkish infrastructure, represent a significant aspect of the country’s cultural heritage. To ensure their continued existence and preservation, it is essential to conduct a detailed examination of their structural features and behaviours. This study aimed to investigate the performance of the historic Yeşiltepe Bridge under earthquake conditions. To achieve this, the bridge was modelled using the SAP2000 finite element software, enabling a deeper understanding of its structure and the prediction of its behaviour during an earthquake. In order to ascertain the dynamic behaviour of the historical bridge, modal analysis and nonlinear time history analysis were conducted. The results of the modal analysis yielded period values, mass participation rates and mode shapes for the bridge. The time history analysis yielded displacement, base shear force and stress values for the historical structure, which were subsequently presented in graphical form. The data obtained from the study enabled the identification of the critical regions of the structure exhibiting the highest stress concentration values.