Seismic Response of Precast Segmental Bridge Superstructures



1. Introduction

Precast segmental construction methods can ease construction costs by reducing

construction time while maintaining quality. In addition, the absence of falsework can

minimize traffic congestion and environmental impact, adding to the benefits of this

construction method. While the popularity of precast segmental construction has

increased throughout the United States, and the world, its use in seismic regions of the

country has been hampered by a lack of research on the seismic response. The California

Department of Transportation supported a research program to address this concern. This

report summarizes recent research that builds upon the previous experimental phases and

investigates the response of two full scale segmental bridges using detailed finite element analyses.

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