Seismic Response Characteristics and Buckling-Restrained Brace-Based Optimization Design for Irregular Slab-Column Bridge Structures

Seismic Response Characteristics and Buckling-Restrained Brace-Based Optimization Design for Irregular Slab-Column Bridge Structures | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Seismic Response Characteristics and Buckling-Restrained Brace-Based Optimization Design for Irregular Slab-Column Bridge Structures Peipei Wang, Liang Chen, Nailiang Xiang, Zhangliang Hu, Dahai Yang, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6695003/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 04 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In highway expansion and reconstruction projects, existing slopes often lead to significant variations in pier heights, forming Irregular Slab-Column Bridge Structures (ISCB). When subjected to seismic loading, such structures exhibit complex mechanical behavior, thereby highlighting the necessity of seismic mitigation design. This study is based on an irregular double-column slab-column highway bridge structure (with a short column of 3 m and high columns of 4 to 9 m) and conducts seismic response analysis using a finite element model. Subsequently, buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) were introduced to evaluate the influence of BRB force ratio on seismic mitigation performance. On this basis, an optimization design method was proposed based on the relationship between the BRB stiffness factor and force ratio. By adjusting the ratio between the BRB force ratio and the computed BRB stiffness factor KF, optimal seismic mitigation and self-centering performance of the structure can be achieved under earthquake loading. This approach effectively prevents local over-deformation and unbalanced responses, enhancing overall seismic performance. The results indicate that the short column exhibits a larger seismic response. When the short column is 3 m and the high column is 6 m, the disparity in seismic responses between the two columns tends to diminish with increasing high column height. The incorporation of BRBs can significantly reduce the structural base shear, reinforcement strain at the column base, and displacement at the column top. Moreover, the reduction in seismic response becomes more pronounced with increasing BRB force ratio. The proposed optimization design method takes into account both the seismic mitigation performance of the BRBs and the self-centering capability of the ISCB. Using this method, the optimal BRB design parameters for the example ISCB are determined (FR BRB =0.3, KF = 3.3). The proposed method for integrating BRB components into bridge pier design can significantly enhance the seismic performance of the prototype structure, promote rapid functional recovery following strong earthquakes, and serve as a novel strategy for the seismic mitigation design of ISCB structures. Irregular slab-column bridge structures Seismic response Buckling-restrained braces Optimized design BRB force ratio Self-centering efficiency Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 04 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Minor revisions needed 17 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 May, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 23 May, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 21 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 19 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6695003","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":460942356,"identity":"11074937-9313-4395-ac0b-5995419e8d3d","order_by":0,"name":"Peipei Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hefei University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Peipei","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":460942357,"identity":"b9b3dd8a-0855-4641-b560-7c5ef5801339","order_by":1,"name":"Liang Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hefei University of 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When subjected to seismic loading, such structures exhibit complex mechanical behavior, thereby highlighting the necessity of seismic mitigation design. This study is based on an irregular double-column slab-column highway bridge structure (with a short column of 3 m and high columns of 4 to 9 m) and conducts seismic response analysis using a finite element model. Subsequently, buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) were introduced to evaluate the influence of BRB force ratio on seismic mitigation performance. On this basis, an optimization design method was proposed based on the relationship between the BRB stiffness factor and force ratio. By adjusting the ratio between the BRB force ratio and the computed BRB stiffness factor KF, optimal seismic mitigation and self-centering performance of the structure can be achieved under earthquake loading. This approach effectively prevents local over-deformation and unbalanced responses, enhancing overall seismic performance. The results indicate that the short column exhibits a larger seismic response. When the short column is 3 m and the high column is 6 m, the disparity in seismic responses between the two columns tends to diminish with increasing high column height. The incorporation of BRBs can significantly reduce the structural base shear, reinforcement strain at the column base, and displacement at the column top. Moreover, the reduction in seismic response becomes more pronounced with increasing BRB force ratio. The proposed optimization design method takes into account both the seismic mitigation performance of the BRBs and the self-centering capability of the ISCB. Using this method, the optimal BRB design parameters for the example ISCB are determined (FR\u003csub\u003eBRB\u003c/sub\u003e=0.3, KF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.3). The proposed method for integrating BRB components into bridge pier design can significantly enhance the seismic performance of the prototype structure, promote rapid functional recovery following strong earthquakes, and serve as a novel strategy for the seismic mitigation design of ISCB structures.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Seismic Response Characteristics and Buckling-Restrained Brace-Based Optimization Design for Irregular Slab-Column Bridge Structures","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-29 13:51:14","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6695003/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Minor revisions needed","date":"2025-10-17T08:33:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-05-23T17:02:48+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-05-23T11:49:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-05-21T05:35:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering","date":"2025-05-19T06:54:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bulletin-of-earthquake-engineering","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"beee","sideBox":"Learn more about [Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering](https://www.springer.com/journal/10518)","snPcode":"10518","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10518/3","title":"Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2e4691b5-b879-403e-b14d-844764dc66c0","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 29th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-08T16:08:03+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6695003","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-025-02322-7","journal":{"identity":"bulletin-of-earthquake-engineering","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-04 15:58:27","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 4th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-29 13:51:14","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s10518-025-02322-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-025-02322-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6695003","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6695003","identity":"rs-6695003","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}