Assessing Damage Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers under Low-Velocity Car Crashes: Experimental and Numerical Study

Abstract

Vehicle collisions subject reinforced concrete (RC) bridge piers to high strain-rate dynamic loads, producing complex material interactions and an apparent strength enhancement commonly quantified by the dynamic increase factor (DIF). During impact, the concrete cover, acting as a sacrificial layer, experiences initial damage due to the car crash, subsequently transferring forces to the transverse reinforcement and altering the pier’s axial and flexural behavior. This study presents an experimental investigation of low velocity vehicular collisions involving subcompact and sedan cars, with emphasis on cosmetic surface damage and global structural response. Finite element simulations developed in ANSYS are employed to reproduce the experimental behavior and to validate estimates of post-impact residual capacity. Damage levels are further quantified using a combined probabilistic and reliability-based framework to assess the likelihood and severity of cosmetic damage. The results offer valuable insights into impact-induced damage mechanisms, enable rational evaluation of residual structural capacity, and support informed decisions regarding repair or strengthening. Additionally, chaotic analysis has been further scrutinized in terms of chaotic risk amplification factor (CRAF) to reinforce the findings. This present study contributes to forensic assessments of RC bridge piers’ serviceability and resilience following vehicular impact events.