Filling the gap between engineering seismology and earthquake structural engineering : seismic analysis of an existing viaduct in Turkey using the results of 3D physics-based earthquake simulations

Seismic design of engineering structures requires proper definitions of the stiffness and strength distributions for the structural elements as well as accurate representations of the seismic demand. While definition of the former may be achieved through careful structural modeling, the definition of the latter may become quite demanding depending on the source-to-site location of the target structure, corresponding site conditions, and the extensions of the structural dimensions in plan. Perhaps, the set of most challenging conditions emerges to be an extended structure (such as a bridge) lying on soil deposits at near-fault conditions, which makes the definition of the input motion cumbersome. In such cases, a good alternative is to use synthetic ground motions that could sufficiently consider the creation, propagation, and amplification of the earthquake ground motion through 3D physics-based numerical simulations. In this thesis, the main focus is made on the investigation of the linear seismic response of a bridge structure in Turkey which is carried out by making use of 3D physics-based ground motions already studied for Greater Istanbul Area. Analyses included both considering synchronous and asynchronous motions at support level. In addition to the main focus, a fundamental step of modal analysis is also carried out within the confines of the thesis. Finally, post-processing of previously conducted nonlinear analyses are presented, as well.