Nonlinear Analysis of RC Bridge Piers subject to Earthquake Loading based on OpenSees

Reinforced concrete piers are the most vulnerable elements in a bridge, and piers' failure can have catastrophic consequences. This paper simulates the piers behavior, at both the section level and the component level, under cyclic and monotonic loads based on the finite element analysis of fiber model in Open Sees. The considered parameters include the axial compression ratio, the shear span ratio and the longitudinal reinforcement ratio. The influence of each parameter observed from the simulation results is discussed from the fields of bearing capacity, law of strength and stiffness degeneration, ductility, and seismic performance of the piers, which can be referenced by other researchers engaging in seismic nonlinear analysis.