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

Buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) have been widely employed in buildings and bridges due to their excellent ductility and energy dissipation capabilities. However, a considerable frame action will be introduced at the beam–column–brace joint for the traditional weld gusset connection under a severe earthquake. To reduce the negative frame action effect, three alternative bolted gusset connections were developed in this study. A buckling-restrained braced-double-pier RC bridge (BRB-RCB) model was constructed by ABAQUS and calibrated by the existing experimental tests. Parameter analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of various connection types on the seismic performance of the BRB-RCBs. It was found that the proposed bolted gusset connection effectively released the constraints of gusset-to-frame interfaces, resulting in a low stress level at the panel zone. The BRB-RCB with the well-designed bolted connection exhibited excellent seismic performance even when subjected to a lateral drift of 3%.