An overview of seismic base isolation for bridges and the current status in Vietnam = Tổng quan về giải pháp gối cách chấn cho cầu và thực tiễn áp dụng tại Việt Nam

Abstract

Bridges are essential components of transportation systems that are important to the smooth operation of socioeconomic activities. With particular structural characteristics, bridges are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes putting them at high risk of sustained damage or total collapse when subjected to strong earthquakes. Seismic base isolation (SBI) is a relatively new and advanced seismic design technique that can greatly reduce the impacts of earthquakes on structures, especially for bridges located in seismically active regions. This paper presents an overview of the seismic base isolation technique, with the fundamental characteristics of typical devices. An overview of recent studies and the application of these devices in Vietnam is also conducted. The seismic performance of isolators for bridges in a typical earthquake area in Vietnam is preliminarily investigated based on an analysis of a simplified isolated base bridge model. The obtained results allow for providing fundamental research products and a more indepth and comprehensive understanding of the base isolation application for bridges, toward practical application in Vietnam.