ABSTRACT
Seismic design criteria for highway bridges have been improving and advancing based on research findings and lessons learned from past earthquakes. In the United States, prior to the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, the seismic design of highway bridges was partially based on lateral force requirements for buildings. Lateral loads were considered as levels of 2 to 6% of dead loads. In 1973, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) developed new seismic design criteria related to site, seismic response of the soils at the site, and the dynamic characteristics of bridges. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) modified the Caltrans 1973 Provisions slightly, and adopted Interim Specifications. The Applied Technology Council (ATC) developed guidelines ATC-6 [1] for seismic design of bridges in 1981. AASHTO adopted ATC-6 [1] as the Guide Specifications in 1983 and later incorporated it into the Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges in 1991.
