Multi-hazard of a bridge pier due to earthquake and scour

Abstract

Bridge structures are often subjected to multi-hazardous conditions, such as earthquake loading, scouring of the foundation, wind, flood, vehicle impact, etc. In the past, these hazards were considered as independent events that occur separately. Scouring, however, is a continuous phenomenon, therefore, bridges subjected to dynamic motion from earthquakes or vehicle impacts are also subjected to scouring simultaneously. When the scouring action is combined with dynamic motion, the result may be a synergistic action that the scour depth could be greater than the scour depth of considering these two damage factors occur sequentially. This paper is a preliminary study to investigate the possible synergistic effects of these combined hazards in experimental way.