Recent development of self-centering system for seismic design of bridge piers: Experimental and theoretical investigation

The original concept of self-centering system was first proposed under the PRESSS research project in 1991 in UC San Diego. The particularly promising and effective structural solution was initially defined as hybrid system in literature and then self-centering system recently. In the ductile connection of self-centering system, inelastic demand is accommodated through the opening and closing (control rocking) of a pre-existing gap at the critical interface, with no consequent damage such as the plastic hinges in traditional structural elements. This paper provides an overview of the recent advances of self-centering system, especially for bridge piers, to summarize several analytical models and experimental tests that were widely recognized. Besides, a brief introduction of the study conducted by Tsinghua University is presented, including a stiffness degrading analytical model and a series of experimental tests.