Shurun-Urgun Highway Composite Steel Bridge Elastomeric Bearings Under Seismic Force

Abstract

This study examines the parameters of Elastomeric Bearing (EB) for affecting the seismic design and behavior for Shurun-Urgun Composite-Steel Bridge is located in Paktia province in eastern part of Afghanistan. Laminated elastomeric bearings used in addition to provide connection between bridge superstructure and substructure, reduce the response of bridge during an earthquake by increasing fundamental period of vibration of bridge, and might reduce the acceleration of superstructure and inertia force passed to the substructure. As an analysis has been done using computer models for two type of piers (tall & short) for similar bridge with or without elastomeric bearing pads and a manually calculation for this numerical investigation to determine the magnitude of forces, displacements and deformations. USGS seismic hazard maps for Afghanistan, and referred to AASHTO, FHWA, and Caltrans manuals where needed.