Applied Technology Council A Nonprofit Corporation Advancing Engineering Applications for Hazard Mitigation California - Washington, DC Area

NEWS RELEASE August 27, 1998

For More Information, Contact: Bernadette Mosby, 650/595-1542 E-mail: bmosby@atcouncil.org

ATC ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF ATC-18 REPORT:
SEISMIC DESIGN CRITERIA FOR BRIDGES AND OTHER HIGHWAY STRUCTURES: CURRENT AND FUTURE

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the ATC-18 Report, Seismic Design Criteria for Bridges and Other Highway Structures: Current and Future. This 152-page report documents the findings of a 4-year project to review and assess current seismic design criteria for new highway construction in order to provide a basis for development of new design guidelines for highway structures.

The overall scope of work on the ATC-18 project consisted of a review of current design practice and criteria, ongoing research in seismic design criteria development, and philosophies behind the design of seismic-resistant highway structures, including bridges, tunnels, abutments, retaining structures, and foundations. This involved a review of existing U. S. standards along with the latest codes for Japan, New Zealand, and Europe. Guidelines developed for the Transportation Corridor Agencies for Orange County, California, and in-progress work, such as the new American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Bridge Specifications were also reviewed.

Issues addressed in the ATC-18 report include performance criteria, importance classification, definitions of seismic hazard for areas where damaging earthquakes have longer return periods, design ground motion, duration effects, site effects, structural response modification factors, ductility demand, design procedures, foundation and abutment modeling, soil-structure interaction, seat widths, joint details, and detailing reinforced concrete for limited ductility in areas with low-to-moderate seismic activity.
The ATC-18 report concludes that a two-level design approach should be included in future codes, as a minimum, for important bridges in the higher seismic zones. The report provides a detailed discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of a two-level design approach. It also provides lengthy discussion on future directions for code development and recommended research and development topics.

The ATC-18 report was developed under a larger project on new highway construction conducted by the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, State University of New York at Buffalo (formerly NCEER), with funding from the Federal Highway Administration.

Copies of the ATC-18 report can be obtained from the Applied Technology Council, 555 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 550, Redwood City, California 94065 (phone, 650/595-1542; fax, 650/593-2320; e-mail, atc@atcouncil.org; web site, www.atcouncil.org). Price: $35.00 per copy (within California, please add applicable local sales tax; for destinations outside the United States, please contact ATC for the cost of shipping).

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