Numerical Investigation of Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC)Bridge Pier for Seismic Prone Area

Abstract

Abstract

Bridge Piers are critical structural elements that govern the stability and seismic performance of bridges where enhanced ductility is essential to prevent failure under strong seismic loadings. The current research work investigates the experimental findings of Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC) bridge pier, in a seismic-prone area followed by numerical simulation. Three circular scaled-down bridge piers: one conventional control and two HyFRC specimens integrated with 0.25% steel and 0.2% polypropylene fibers by weight of cement were tested under a quasi-static cyclic loading up to 4% drift and a constant axial load of 20 tons. A non-linear finite element analysis (NLFEA) model was developed in ABAQUS, utilizing a user-defined subroutine material (UMAT). The NLFEA model accurately reflected the reinforcement configuration, geometric dimensions and boundary conditions consistent with the experimental setup to capture the complex behavior. The seismic performance of piers was investigated by comparing different parameters, including hysteresis-based parameters, energy dissipation, and visual damage patterns. The results obtained from the numerical model showed strong correlation with experimental results, highlighting the model's ability to capture the non-linear behavior of the pier under seismic loading. These findings show that the model can accurately predict the seismic performance of HyFRC bridge piers, supporting the design of bridges with enhanced resistance to earthquake loading.

Keywords: Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC), Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NLFEA), User-Defined Material Subroutine (UMAT), seismic performance, experimental validation