Seismic Research Program for Highway Construction

This paper provides an overview of the highway research program being conducted by the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER). This six-year program, which is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is studying the seismic vulnerability of the U.S. highway infrastructure. A major part of this effort is directed towards the seismic assessment and retrofitting of existing highway construction. Until recently, the primary resource for seismic hazard assessment and retrofitting of highway bridges was the FHWA Report 'Seismic Retrofitting Guidelines for Highway Bridges,' which was published in 1983 but was based primarily on research results and information available in the late 1970s. The first product resulting from the Highway Project at NCEER is a new document titled 'Seismic Retrofitting Manual for Highway Bridges,' which is expected to be published during 1994 by the FHWA. This paper also summarizes some of the important changes in retrofitting technology that have been incorporated into the new edition of the retrofitting manual for highway bridges.