Controllable Uplift‐Rocking Bridges With Tall Double‐Column Bents: Concept, Analytical Model, and Seismic Behavior

ABSTRACT In order to advance the post‐earthquake rehabilitation for girder bridges with tall double‐column bents, a critical infrastructure component in mountainous and canyon regions, the present study, motivated by the promising rocking self‐centering (RSC) technology, proposes an innovative configuration employing an alternating uplift‐rocking system to facilitate the implementation of the RSC technology in conventional tall bents. The proposed uplift‐rocking tall double‐column bent (UR‐TDCB) integrates an extended foundation and external triangular steel plate dampers at the bottom of the tall bent to ensure adequate self‐centering and energy‐dissipative (ED) capacity, even in the absence of post‐tensioned (PT) tendons. A displacement‐constraint (DC) device ensures sufficient stability for the tall bent, such that the limited state of materials, rather than stability issues, is the predominant issue during infrequent earthquake events. Additionally, an analytical model considering the continuous variation in neutral axis depth was presented to characterize the hysteretic behavior of UR‐TDCB, following validation by an optimized finite element (FE) model. This FE model significantly enhances the modeling efficiency and computational accuracy while also accounting for the influence of size effect on the rocking interface. Based on the design procedure and FE model, a case study of a double‐span continuous girder bridge in the high‐seismicity region, including nonlinear analysis under cyclic static loading and earthquake excitations, was conducted to comprehensively assess the seismic resilience of the UR‐TDCB. Results confirm the superior performance of UR‐TDCB in limiting both damage progression and residual deformation. Meanwhile, similar lateral stiffness, strength, and boundaries’ behaviors compared to the conventional tall bents underscore the potential for integrating this system in engineering applications.