Numerical Study on Seismic Performance of Buckling-Restrained Braced Double-Pier RC Bridge with Bolted Gusset Connections

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The presented study deals with interesting and relevant topic: seismic performance of BRBs on RC bridge connected with bolted gusset. It was numerically investigated bolted gusset connection with various slots position and direction.

Comments and suggestions can be found in the attached pdf file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

This paper studies the seismic performance of the BRB double-pier RC bridge with bolted gusset connections. The topic of the manuscript is interesting. The following are some issues for the authors to consider.

(1) What are the advantages of the connection proposed in this study compared with reference 15-16? Please make appropriate supplementary comments in the introduction to highlight the innovative.

(2) The generalized uniform force method is used for the design of bolted gusset connection. The calculation diagram Fig.3 is unclear. Please redraw the Fig and provide more details regarding the GUFM.

(3) From the hysteretic curve (Figure 9), there is a significant difference between the test and the simulation when the displacement is 20 mm. Simulation accuracy needs to be verified.

(4) This study only verified the simulation accuracy of bare bridge bent. How to consider the accuracy after adding BRB?

(5) Within the Introduction, comment recent studies dealing with bridge bent retrofitted with BRBs, such as:

El-Bahey S, Bruneau M. Buckling restrained braces as structural fuses for the seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete bridge bents[J]. Engineering Structures, 2011, 33(3): 1052-1061.

Bazaez R, Dusicka P. Performance assessment of multi-column RC bridge bents seismically retrofitted with buckling-restrained braces[J]. Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 2018, 16(5): 2135-2160.

Upadhyay A, Pantelides CP, Ibarra L. Residual drift mitigation for bridges retrofitted with buckling restrained braces or self centering energy dissipation devices[J]. Engineering Structures, 2019(199): 109663.

Xiang N, Alam MS. Displacement-based seismic design of bridge bents retrofitted with various bracing devices and their seismic fragility assessment under near-fault and far-field ground motions[J]. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 2019(119): 75-90.

Yan SHI, Zhengwu ZHONG, Hongguo QIN, Jianping HAN, Zhiguo SUN. Toggle buckling-restrained brace systems and a corresponding design method for the seismic retrofit of bridge bents[J]. Engineering Structures, 2020(221): 11099.

Dong H, Du X, Han Q, et al. Numerical studies on the seismic performances of RC two-column bent bridges with self-centering energy dissipation braces[J]. Journal of Structural Engineering, 2020, 146(4): 04020038.

Yan SHI, Zhichao ZHANG, Xiangxin FAN, Jianping HAN, Hongguo QIN, Zhiguo SUN. Seismic design and performance analysis of bridge bents retrofitted with multistage buckling-restrained braces[J]. Structures, 2023(49):779-791.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx