Seismic assessment and retrofit of reinforced concrete tall piers with hollow cross section

Seismic evaluation and retrofit of existing bridge piers have been the subject of intensive research and development in Japan since the Great Hanshin Earthquake of January 1995. This paper reports experimental results on the cyclic inelastic lateral loading for three large scale reinforced concrete (RC) bridge piers; an "as-built" pier model and two models retrofitted with a bonded steel jacket. The prototype is a tall RC pier with hollow cross section, designed in accordance with 1970s Aseismic Design Guidelines in Japan. Results from the tests are presented in the form of load-displacement curves, damage observations, energy absorption plots, and strain distributions in plastic hinge region.