Assessment of Performance of Seismic Isolation System of Bolu Viaduct

The Bolu viaduct is a 2.3-km-long seismically isolated structure that was nearly complete when it was struck by the 1999 Duzce earthquake in Turkey. It suffered complete failure of the seismic isolation system and narrowly avoided total collapse due to excessive superstructure movement. This paper presents an evaluation of the design of the viaduct’s seismic isolation system and an assessment of its performance in the Duzce earthquake. Evaluation of the seismic isolation system’s design has revealed that it did not meet the requirements of the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Seismic Isolation Design. Analysis of the viaduct with motions scaled in accordance with the AASHTO Guide Specifications resulted in a displacement demand of 820 mm, which is far more than the 210 mm displacement capacity of the existing isolation system. Analysis of the viaduct for a simulated near-fault motion with characteristics consistent with the site conditions resulted in an isolation system displacement demand of 1,400 mm. This indicates that, even if the isolation system had been designed in compliance with the AASHTO, it would have still suffered damage in the earthquake.