VESSEL COLLISIONS ON BRIDGE PIERS: SIMULATION STUDY FOR DYNAMIC AMPLIFICATION FACTORS

In conventional analysis and design of bridges, piers are analyzed for dead, vehicular, and earthquake forces. As a special case, an unfendered Bridge pier may experience a vessel collision. This collision (impact) of a barge or a ship commonly known as vessel may adversely damage the structure. This paper presents an estimate of the Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) for impact due to such vessel collisions on unfendered bridge piers. Various geometries of piers are analyzed for forces arising from such a collision scene considering the Indian navigational conditions. Static and dynamic analysis of RCC wall type solid and the hollow circular piers using the finite element method is carried out. Specially made computer programs in MATLAB software are used for this purpose. The Dynamic Amplification Factors for various geometries of piers with impact force applied at different heights and angles are calculated and the results are presented in the form of graphs.