In regions prone to seismic activity, the design and construction of resilient bridge infrastructure are paramount to ensuring public safety, maintaining critical transportation lifelines, and minimizing economic disruption during and after earthquakes. Seismic Design, Analysis, and Retrofitting of Bridges is a specialized discipline that integrates advanced structural engineering principles with a deep understanding of seismology and ground motion characteristics to create bridges capable of withstanding severe seismic events. This comprehensive training course is designed to equip bridge engineers, structural analysts, and infrastructure managers with the cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills required to assess seismic hazards, perform sophisticated dynamic analyses, design new bridges for enhanced seismic performance, and effectively retrofit existing structures to meet modern seismic standards. Without robust expertise in Seismic Design, Analysis, and Retrofitting of Bridges, infrastructure networks remain vulnerable to catastrophic failure, prolonged service interruptions, and significant societal impact, underscoring the vital need for specialized expertise in this critical domain.

Duration: 10 Days

Target Audience

• Bridge Design Engineers
• Structural Engineers
• Civil Engineers working in seismically active regions
• Geotechnical Engineers involved in bridge foundations
• Infrastructure Owners and Managers
• Technical Reviewers and Approving Authorities
• Researchers and Academics in earthquake engineering
• Postgraduate Students in civil/structural engineering
• Contractors involved in bridge construction and retrofitting
• Professionals involved in disaster preparedness and recovery

Objectives

• Understand the fundamental principles of earthquake engineering and seismic hazards.
• Learn about ground motion characteristics and their impact on bridge structures.
• Acquire skills in performing various seismic analysis methods for bridges.
• Comprehend techniques for designing new bridges for enhanced seismic performance.
• Explore strategies for assessing the seismic vulnerability of existing bridges.
• Understand the importance of seismic retrofitting techniques and their application.
• Gain insights into performance-based seismic design for bridges.
• Develop a practical understanding of soil-structure interaction under seismic loading.
• Master detailing requirements for ductile bridge components.
• Acquire skills in utilizing advanced software for seismic bridge analysis.
• Learn to apply relevant international seismic design codes and standards.
• Comprehend techniques for design of seismic isolation and energy dissipation devices.
• Explore strategies for post-earthquake damage assessment and repair.
• Understand the importance of resilience and redundancy in bridge networks.
• Develop the ability to make informed decisions regarding seismic risk mitigation for bridges.

Course Content

Module 1: Fundamentals of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology

• Basic concepts of earthquakes: causes, types, and measurement.
• Seismic waves and ground motion characteristics.
• Seismic hazard analysis: deterministic and probabilistic approaches.
• Understanding response spectra and their application in design.
• Introduction to seismic design philosophy for bridges.

Module 2: Seismic Design Codes and Standards

• Overview of major international seismic bridge design codes (e.g., AASHTO LRFD, Eurocode 8).
• Comparison of seismic design philosophies and requirements.
• Load combinations for seismic events.
• Importance factors and performance levels for bridges.
• Seismic design categories and their implications.

Module 3: Dynamic Analysis of Bridges: Modal Analysis

• Principles of structural dynamics: mass, stiffness, damping.
• Natural frequencies and mode shapes of bridge structures.
• Modal participation factors and effective modal masses.
• Understanding the dynamic behavior of different bridge types.
• Introduction to dynamic analysis software.

Module 4: Dynamic Analysis: Response Spectrum Analysis

• Application of response spectra for seismic analysis.
• Combining modal responses (e.g., SRSS, CQC methods).
• Scaling of response spectra for design.
• Limitations and assumptions of response spectrum analysis.
• Practical examples using commercial software.

Module 5: Dynamic Analysis: Time History Analysis

• Principles of time history analysis for seismic loading.
• Selection and scaling of ground motion records.
• Non-linear time history analysis for complex behavior.
• Interpreting time-dependent displacements, forces, and stresses.
• Advantages and disadvantages compared to other methods.

Module 6: Seismic Design of Bridge Substructures

• Design of ductile bridge piers and columns.
• Confinement requirements for concrete elements.
• Shear design of columns under seismic loading.
• Capacity design principles for substructures.
• Detailing for seismic resistance in foundations.

Module 7: Seismic Design of Bridge Foundations and Soil-Structure Interaction

• Types of bridge foundations in seismic zones.
• Modeling soil-structure interaction (SSI) in seismic analysis.
• P-y curves and t-z curves for pile foundations.
• Liquefaction potential and mitigation strategies.
• Design of abutments and retaining walls for seismic forces.

Module 8: Seismic Design of Bridge Superstructures

• Seismic response of bridge decks and girders.
• Design of connections between superstructure and substructure.
• Bearing design for seismic movements and forces.
• Unseating prevention measures (e.g., seismic restrainers, extended seats).
• Retrofitting strategies for superstructure vulnerabilities.

Module 9: Seismic Isolation and Energy Dissipation Devices

• Principles of seismic isolation (base isolation).
• Types of isolation bearings (lead-rubber, friction pendulum).
• Design and analysis of isolated bridges.
• Energy dissipation devices (e.g., viscous dampers, hysteretic dampers).
• Performance benefits and limitations of these technologies.

Module 10: Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Bridges

• Methodologies for seismic screening and preliminary assessment.
• Detailed seismic vulnerability analysis (e.g., pushover analysis).
• Identifying critical components and failure mechanisms.
• Understanding the seismic performance of older bridge designs.
• Prioritization of bridges for retrofitting.

Module 11: Seismic Retrofitting Techniques for Bridges

• Concrete jacketing and steel jacketing for columns.
• Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) wrapping for confinement.
• Adding seismic restrainers and increasing seat widths.
• Foundation strengthening and ground improvement.
• Retrofitting of bearings and expansion joints.

Module 12: Performance-Based Seismic Design (PBSD)

• Introduction to PBSD philosophy and objectives.
• Defining performance levels (e.g., immediate occupancy, life safety, collapse prevention).
• Target performance criteria for different seismic hazards.
• Non-linear analysis methods for PBSD (e.g., pushover, non-linear time history).
• Acceptance criteria for PBSD.

Module 13: Post-Earthquake Damage Assessment and Repair

• Rapid assessment protocols immediately after an earthquake.
• Detailed damage inspection and evaluation.
• Repair and rehabilitation strategies for earthquake-damaged bridges.
• Decision-making for repair vs. replacement.
• Lessons learned from past earthquake events.

Module 14: Resilience and Redundancy in Bridge Networks

• Concepts of infrastructure resilience and redundancy.
• Network-level seismic risk assessment.
• Strategies for enhancing network robustness and recovery.
• Importance of alternative routes and emergency access.
• Role of bridge engineers in regional disaster planning.

Module 15: Advanced Topics and Future Trends in Seismic Bridge Engineering

• Probabilistic seismic demand analysis (PSDA).
• Real-time structural health monitoring for seismic events.
• Smart materials and adaptive structures for seismic response.
• AI and machine learning applications in seismic assessment.
• Research frontiers in earthquake-resistant bridge design.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 10 working days before commencement of the training.