Asynchronous seismic excitation in bridges: asynchronous patterns, analysis methods and structural types studied

Abstract

This paper shows the importance of performing an asynchronous dynamic analysis for some bridge types. First, the existence and damage caused by the asynchronous seismic excitation are explored. Then, the general mathematic expression that describes the movement of structures under non-uniform seismic excitation in its supports and the asynchronous patterns that characterize the asynchronous phenomenon (wave passage, loss of correlation, and local site effect) are introduced. In a general approach, the analysis methods that have been implemented and the design codes that emphasize the importance of asynchronous analysis on bridges are also presented. Finally, the results obtained by some authors interested in bridges subjected to asynchronous seismic excitation for several structural types are discussed.