Analytical Prediction of Damping Coefficient-Vibration Amplitude Relationship Changes of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers

Abstract

The dynamic parameters like damping ratio and natural frequency are crucial, to explain the dynamic behavior of structures and predict their responses to various vibration motions. The analytical approach is thought to have inherent flaws, since the dynamic properties of structures are typically predicted analytically and do not take into account changes in amplitude vibration. Although the majority of earlier experimental investigations sought how variations in vibration amplitude affect dynamic properties, analytical discussion of these changes has not been done yet. This analytical and numerical study was conducted to better understand the effect of excitation changes on damping ratio in dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete bridge piers using Abaqus 6.14 program. In order to do this, analytical prediction of the relationship between the damping ratio changes versus vibration amplitude changes were investigated. Then, modal analysis and dynamic analysis on tested bridge pier specimens were carried out considering the damping ratio changes. To find that, the analytical responses, after defining the damping changes function in the analytical model, were closer to the experimental responses than those with constant damping coefficient by comparing the acceleration responses of the pier model.