International Cooperation
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Dr. Kawashima:
Dr. K. Kawashima of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan , will be involved in the proposed study as international collaborator. He has extensive background in earthquake engineering of bridges. The interaction with Dr. Kawashima will be in design of the innovative plastic hinges of the columns in Model 3. Dr. Kawashima has studied the incorporation of high-damping lead rubber pads in column plastic hinges in the past. His collective experience will be utilized to improve and implement the detail he has developed in one of the columns of the bridge specimen.
University of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Dr. Fischinger :
A specific subtask in the numerical simulation part of the study will be undertaken in collaboration with Prof. Fischinger of the University of Ljublijana (ULJ), Slovenia , and his research team. Slovenian researches will test and upgrade analytical procedures, which they have developed in the past years and which will be used to support this project. The collaborative research will focus on (a) Multimode effects during inelastic response of bridges, (b) Identifying parameters influencing irregularity of the bridge response and related innovative design concepts to improve regularity of seismic response of bridge structures, (c) The definition of the range of applicability of simplified inelastic procedures for irregular bridge structures and related requirements in seismic codes, (d) Improved analytical models for bridge piers.
