Accelerated bridge pier construction in the U.S. Seismic implications

In several successful accelerated bridge construction projects in Florida and Texas, pre-fabricated bridge pier components have been utilized, which result in significant reduction of the construction schedule. This paper summarizes major accelerated bridge construction projects through adopting pre-fabricated bridge pier components, which shows its popularity in recent years. In particular, details in geometry, reinforcement, and connections from several projects are compared, focusing on their applicability in seismic regions. Systems in seismic regions investigated recently by several research groups are also summarized and compared. As concluding remarks, issues and recommendations regarding connections and reinforcement detailing are summarized.