EQUIVALENT RIGID-BODY COMPACT MODEL OF POUNDING BETWEEN ADJACENT BRIDGE GIRDERS DURING EARTHQUAKES

Conservation laws of momentum and energy are introduced to model pounding between adjacent bridge girders based on collinear compact between rod theory. An equivalent rigid-body compact model is proposed. The coefficient of restitution depends only on the length ratio l₂/l₁ and impact spring stiffness ratio α. A simplified analysis of seismic pounding in a concrete bridge indicates that the equivalent rigid-body compact model can acquire almost the same structural response as that elastic rod compact model does.