Seismic Responses of Aqueducts Using a New Type of Self-Centering Seismic Isolation Bearing

An aqueduct is a bridge-like structure that supports a canal passing over a river or low ground, and it is an important part of a water conveyance system. Aqueduct piers are extremely vulnerable to damage during strong earthquakes that can result in structural collapse. Further, excessive seismic displacement will also fracture an aqueduct's rubber water-stop and interrupt the normal service of an aqueduct after an earthquake. Therefore, improving the seismic capacity and post-earthquake resilience of aqueducts is of great importance. In this paper, a new type of self-centering seismic isolation bearing, the inclined plane guide bearing (IPGB), is proposed for the seismic design of aqueducts, and it is studied both experimentally and numerically. Firstly, a typical aqueduct project and the setting of the IPGBs are introduced. Then, the test design, test cases, and test results of shaking table tests for two different pier-height aqueducts are presented. The seismic responses of the two models are studied, and the results show that the aqueduct that used IPGBs has a smaller bearing displacement and better post-earthquake resilience. Finally, a numerical simulation method applicable to aqueducts using IPGBs is proposed, and its accuracy is verified by comparing the results of the numerical simulation and the shaking table test.