Nonlinear Analysis of Bridge Piers under Barge Collision Load

Abstract

This paper proposes nonlinear analyses of bridge pier-barge collision. A reinforced concrete bridge pier, a precast concrete deck and a Jumbo Hopper (JH) barge are modeled using LS-DYNA. The impact forces and structural responses of the reinforced concrete pier subjected to various barge impact loads are investigated. The AASHTO specifications and the previous studies on barge-pier collisions are used as baselines. It is demonstrated that the proposed FEA is effective to estimate the nonlinear behavior of the reinforced concrete bridge pier under barge impact loading.