Retracted: Assessment of the Seismic Performance of new Steel Box Pier Columns Using Pseudo-Static Tests

In order to investigate the effect of embedded energy dissipation shell plates on the seismic behavior of a new-type of steel box-section bridge pier column, quasi-static tests were carried out on ten steel box bridge pier column under constant axial force accompanied by a horizontal cyclic load on top of the piers. The influence rules of horizontal stiffener spacing on embedded shell plates, the axial compression ratio, the embedded shell strength, and the layout of longitudinal ribs in the box-section wallboards were discussed. The load-strain diagram, the stiffness degradation, the strength degradation and the energy dissipation capacity of the new-type bridge pier column were analyzed. The test results indicated that, after installing the embedded shells, the stiffness degradation of box bridge pier column is more gradual, and the bearing capacity of specimens is improved. The hysteresis loop of specimens is more plump, and the energy dissipation capacity is also enhanced. The smaller the spacing of the horizontal stiffeners in the embedded shell and the axial compression ratio, the more gradual of the stiffness and the strength degradate. The effects of axial compression ratio and the transverse stiffener spacing of the embedded shells on the seismic behavior of the new steel piers were significant, but the effects of setting longitudinal stiffening ribs and enhanced embedded shell strength were relatively small.