Seismic Isolation Technology for Prestressed Segmental Precast Piers

Abstract Due to its poor energy dissipation capacity, the application of prestressed segmental precast piers in bridge engineering in areas with medium- and high-intensity seismic activity is limited. This study proposes the use of a functional separation seismic isolation device (FSID) that acts as an external replaceable energy dissipation device to increase the energy dissipation capacity of prestressed segmental precast piers. Full-scale in-situ load tests on an actual prestressed segmental precast pier were carried out to clarify the seismic performance of this kind of pier. Based on the results of the tests and further analysis, an optimal design of the functional separation seismic isolation device is obtained by incorporating the optimal mechanical performance parameters of the device. The FSID proposed in this study can meet the seismic performance requirements of prestressed segmental precast piers under different levels of earthquakes.