Title: Damage reduction countermeasures for short span bridges focusing on restorability of structural joints

Authors: Teruhiko Yoda; Weiwei Lin

Addresses: School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4 1 Okubo, Shinjukuku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan ' School of Engineering, Aalto University, Room 247, Rakentajanaukio 4 A, 02150 Espoo, Finland

Abstract: Lying on one of the world's most active seismic faults, Japan faces the continuous threat of natural disasters. The earthquake that struck east Japan on 11 March 2011, and the devastating tsunami, raised many very serious questions about this country's land and its disaster prevention and disaster reduction strategies for resilience. Disaster-related losses cause short- as well as long-term adverse effects on economy, society, health, culture and the environment. In Japan, the events of 11 March 2011 highlighted the need for the related government agencies, municipalities, research organisations and universities to work together in formulating and implementing a holistic and comprehensive policy approach for damage reduction countermeasures. In this paper, damage reduction countermeasures for short span bridges are presented focusing on the restorability of structural joints, with a view to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and deterioration.

Keywords: bridge system; joints; damage reduction; earthquake; tsunami; flood; resilience; restorability; deterioration of bridges.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMSS.2021.115780

International Journal of Sustainable Materials and Structural Systems, 2021 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.147 - 163

Received: 23 Sep 2019
Accepted: 10 Feb 2020
Published online: 22 Jun 2021 *