Vehicle impact prevention behavior of RC bridge piers with UHPC-Bio-inspired honeycomb column thin-walled structure (UHPC-BHTS)

In order to reduce the damage of reinforced concrete bridge piers (RCBPs) under vehicle impact scenarios, the Ultra-high performance concrete-Bio-inspired honeycomb column thin-walled structure (UHPC-BHTS) with an attached anti-impact composite structure is designed to enable the pier to resist accidental vehicle impacts during its service life. According to the dynamic response, energy absorption characteristics, and other indicators, the impact protection effectiveness of the UHPC-BHTS composite structure on six RC column specimens with different equivalent heights from 1 to 3.5 m was evaluated. The average proportion of internal energy absorbed by the UHPC-BHTS composite structure was as high as 97.19 %. Then, 48 Ford 800 medium-sized trucks with engine tonnage of 0.64-2 tons and impact speeds of 40-140 km/h were systematically simulated for the vehiclepier impact condition. Through the test results, it is concluded that the pier protected by the UHPC-BHTS composite structure has a lower damage level than the RCBP without a protective device and can withstand the impact of medium-sized trucks with faster and heavier engines. Finally, based on a new type of damage assessment index, the damage degree of vehicle impact on RCBP was evaluated. The work in this paper can provide a useful reference for the design of RCBP in vehicle impact protection.