Seismic performances of prefabricated assembled piers connected with corrugated pipes in high intensity seismic areas

In order to investigate the application feasibility of prefabricated assembled piers in high-intensity seismic areas, a new type of pier-cap joint connected with inner and outer corrugated pipes was proposed. Two specimens with a scale ratio of 1 : 3 were designed and fabricated as the internal and external corrugated pipe-connected pier (IOCPCP) and cast-in-place pier (CIP), respectively. By using the method of quasi-static test and finite element numerical simulation, the hysteretic performance, energy dissipation capacity, curvature of the specimen, as well as the failure mode were analysed. The test results show that the specimens are all damaged in the plastic hinge zone at the bottom of the pier; the IOCPCP specimen is similar to the CIP in the performances of bearing capacity, hysteresis, and energy dissipation, whereas has better ductility; the IOCPCP specimen can still maintain the bearing capacity of more than 88% of the peak load under the drift ratio of 6% . The parameter analysis accounting for the strength of the longitudinal reinforcement and the length of the internal compensation reinforcement of the pier column was carried out. It is considered that the increase in the strength of the pier column longitudinal reinforcement can slightly reduce the plastic hinge area at the bottom of the pier, but requires higher strength of the grout in the peripheral corrugated pipes; when the length of the internal compensation reinforcement is short, double plastic hinges are prone to occur. The test results provide a reference for the engineering application of prefabricated assembled piers in high-intensity seismic areas. © 2024 Chinese Vibration Engineering Society. All rights reserved.