NCHRP Project 12-49: Comprehensive Specification for the Seismic Design of
Bridges
The "Comprehensive Specification for the Seismic Design of
Bridges" project was carried out by a team of practicing engineers and researchers
under a joint venture partnership between the Applied Technology Council (ATC)
and MCEER.
This project, funded by the Transportation Research Board through the
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 12-49, provides a new specification that includes the
latest knowledge about the seismic performance of bridges, for consideration
by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
This specification is summarized in
NCHRP Report 472 (pdf), and is fully described in three ATC-MCEER Joint Venture
publications,
Recommended LRFD Guidelines for the Seismic Design of Highway Bridges.
The Recommended Guidelines are based on significant enhancements in the
state of knowledge and state of practice resulting from research
investigations and lessons learned from earthquakes over the last 15 years.
They consist of specifications, commentary, and
appendices developed to be compatible with the existing
load-and-resistance-factor design (LRFD) provisions for highway bridges
published by AASHTO. The new, updated, provisions are nationally
applicable and cover all seismic zones, as well as all bridge construction
types and materials. They reflect the latest design philosophies and
approaches that will result in highway bridges with a high level of seismic
performance. Two companion studies were conducted to (1) investigate the effects
of liquefaction and (2) develop design examples using the NCHRP 12-49
provisions.
Additional Resources
Recommended Changes to the AASHTO Specifications for the Seismic Design of
Highway Bridges
(included in Research Progress and Accomplishments:
2000 - 2001)
Research Team
Project Management and Project
Team
Project Engineering Panel
NCHRP Project Panel C12-49
MCEER Bulletin Articles
Recommended LRFD Guidelines Benefit Bridge Designers (Summer 2005)
New Reports: ATC/MCEER Joint Venture Publishes New LRFD Guidelines for Bridges (Spring 2004)
ATC/MCEER Joint Venture Publishes New LRFD Guidelines for Bridges (Summer 2003)
T-3 State Bridge Engineers Meet in Albuquerque (Summer 2003)
