Performance of Beam to Column Bridge Joints Subjected to a Large Velocity Pulse

The destructive effects of velocity pulses were first recorded during the 1971 San Fernando, California, earthquake. However, the actual near-field behavior of a rupturing fault remained undefined until the 1994 Northridge, California, and 1995 Kobe, Japan, earthquakes. A large amount of data were gathered from structural damage and strong ground motion recording stations, allowing engineers to more fully understand the near-field seismic environment. This prompted investigations into the performance of bridges, which often have natural periods close to those of recorded velocity pulses.