Seismic behavior of steel tubular bridge columns equipped with low-yield-point steel plates in the root replaceable pier

To enable rapid recovery of a steel bridge column after an earthquake, a novel tubular-section steel bridge column equipped with low-yield-point (LYP) steel tubular plates in the root replaceable pier is proposed. For the purpose of discussing the seismic behavior of the novel steel bridge column, quasi-static tests and finite element simulation analyses of the specimens were carried out. The effects of parameters such as the axial compression ratio, eccentricity, and thickness and material strength of the tubular plate in the energy-dissipating zone are discussed. Experimental results from seven specimens that were subjected to four failure modes are presented. The damage to the quasi-static specimens is localized to the replaceable energy-dissipating pier. The seismic behavior of the novel steel bridge columns is significantly influenced by the axial compression ratio and eccentricity of specimens. Numerical results show that the high stress area of the specimens is mainly concentrated in the connection zone between the LYP steel tubular plate and the bottom steel plate, which is consistent with the position of the quasi-static specimen when it was prone to fracture. Finally, a calculation formula is proposed to facilitate the capacity prediction of this new steel tubular bridge column under repeated loading.