ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: This paper describes the residual strength prediction of reinforced bridge piers to prevent structural damages due to seismic disaster.
Many existing infrastructures which are deteriorated by corrosive and climate conditions are always threatened by various natural hazards including earthquake loads. Actually, those structures constructed prior to 1980 in Japan were designed for a particular seismic load which is smaller than the Level 2 ground motion caused by the ductility level earthquake (DLE). After the 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake, revised guidelines which introduce Level 1 and Level 2 ground motions as the design earthquake load were specified making old infrastructure design fall below acceptable limits. This means these structures are vulnerable to strong earthquake in the future.
