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Remarkable accomplishments have been observed in seismic engineering in the recent past with the definition and development of high-performance seismic resistant systems, able to sustain major ground motions with limited level of structural damage. Following the introduction and further developments of jointed ductile connections for the seismic design of precast concrete buildings, the concept of hybrid system, where self-centering and energy dissipation capacity are adequately combined by using unbonded post-tensioned techniques and alternative sources of dissipation, has been recently proposed as a viable and efficient solution for an improved seismic performance of bridge systems. In this contribution, based on extensive inelastic time-history analyses using a 3-D lumped plasticity model, a numerical comparison of the seismic response of multi-span bridge systems with hybrid jointed ductile and monolithic connections is presented. The seismic performance of the two alternative solutions is evaluated with reference to the different mechanisms developed to accommodate the inelastic demand as well as to the extent of maximum and residual (permanent) displacement or drifts. Parametric analyses are carried out by varying fundamental mechanical and geometric parameters of the bridge systems as: the distribution of pier heights within a regular or irregular configuration, deck stiffness, and abutment restraint conditions. In addition, the influence of P- effects and seismic intensity on the overall response are investigated and reported as a further confirmation of the likely enhanced performance of hybrid bridge systems.
Palermo et al. (Tue,) studied this question.