Progressive Pushover Analysis of a Reinforced Concrete Bridge of Pakistan

Abstract

Following the Kashmir Earthquake on October 8, 2005 attention is being paid to the seismic vulnerability on a national scale. There is an urgent need to check the bridge structures in earthquake-prone zones of Pakistan. In order to address this problem, this research aimed to perform a progressive pushover analysis of a reinforced concrete bridge of Pakistan and to check the seismic capacity of the under-investigation bridge to ensure the seismic demand of the area. The modelling and analysis of the existing bridge within the seismic zone 3 of Pakistan was carried out using computer-aided software CSI Bridge. Pushover analysis was conducted at different drift levels to assess its seismic demand and capacity across various seismic zones. The research concluded with an overview that bridge was able to achieve the life safety stage and it can sustain the earthquake acceleration in the seismic zone 3 of Pakistan. Lastly, recommendations measures for the under-investigation bridge were developed.