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Caltrans >Division of Engineering Services > Structure Policy and Innovation > Office of Earthquake Engineering > Research Reports

Structure, Seismic and Geotechnical Research Program Overview

Past Funded Research Program Documents

Completed Research Reports (searchable)

Research Implementation Reports

Funded Research Program Documents

Research Notes

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Structure, Seismic and Geotechnical Research Program Overview

cycle of earthquake, research and implementation

The Division of Engineering Services (DES) manages a multi-million dollar problem-focused research program to investigate issues and develop results that can be deployed to meet Project Delivery and Department goals. This program utilizes practitioners to identify research needs and to provide technical support to research projects to ensure they meet Caltrans needs and can be deployed into practice. Cross-functional management level oversight committees have been created to provide broad strategic insight and to support the implementation of research into practice. DES Research Notes will be published and distributed regularly as a tool to communicate activities associated with the DES Research Program and to share research results.

Organizational Structure

The Structure, Seismic and Geotechnical Research Program is managed in coordination between the Division of Engineering Services (DES) and the Division of Research & Innovation (DRI). Office-Chief level representatives from Structure Design, Geotechnical Services, Structure Maintenance & Investigations, Structure Construction, Materials Engineering and Testing Services, Design Technical Services, Earthquake Engineering, and DRI form the Structure and Geotechnical Technical Advisory Panels (TAPs). The TAPs are responsible for coordinating the research program, developing strategic research plans, evaluating and prioritizing research problem statements and research proposals, and sponsoring Technical Support Teams for guiding research projects and deploying results. The Structure & Geotechnical Research Program Steering Committee (S&GPSC) provides oversight and guidance to the TAP, reviews and approves prioritized research problem statements, oversees the development of strategic research plans, and approves funding for seismic research projects. The S&GPSC recommends funding priorities to the Department’s Research & Deployment Steering Committee (RDSC) for non-seismic projects utilizing funds managed through DRI. The Research and Deployment Advisory Committee (RDAC) provides funding and program recommendations to the RDSC. The key to success of the Structure, Seismic and Geotechnical Research Program is practitioner participation throughout the process including the development of Problem Statements, evaluation of Research Proposals, providing technical support to ongoing research projects, and serving on work teams to deploy the results.

program diagram

The Department Strategic Research Plan

The plan focuses on the Department on five goals related to safety, mobility, delivery, stewardship, and service. Each goal has multiple objectives and each objective lists multiple strategies for the Department to employ in order to achieve the desired objective and, ultimately, the goal. The Strategic Plan provided the foundation for this Strategic Research Plan.

• Mobility
• Safety
• Climate Change
• Infrastructure
• Goods Movement

View the Caltrans Strategic Research Plan

The Program Research Categories

The Caltrans Strategic Research Plan has these structure specific categories:

1- Improve Bridge Seismic Details
2- Develop Rationale/Understanding for Soil/Foundations Interaction
3- Utilize Advanced Composite Materials, FRP
4- Develop/Use Seismic Response Modification Devices, SRMD
5- Monitor the Performance of Bridges Through Instrumentation
6- Develop New Analytical Design Tools
7- Improve Understanding of Ground Motion
8- Improve Performance of Steel Bridges

Seismic and Geotechnical Research Road Map

The Caltrans Strategic Research Plan has a specific Seismic and Geotechnical 'roadmap':

http://www.dot.ca.gov/rpm/documents/STAPGTAPRoadmap.pdf

Seismic and Geotechnical Research RPM

From time to time the STAP and GTAP may actively solicit ideas and suggestions for research. The STAP and GTAP have a web site to facilitate the preparation and submittal of ideas and suggestions for future research. It is located at: http://dot.ca.gov/rpm.
Interested parties can register with the site, provide contact information, and prepare and manage their ideas and suggestions. The detailed form used to describe ideas and suggestions will make it easier to evaluate them against those of other contributors and against the Department’s strategic research objectives.

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Funded Research Program Documents (History of past research)

Funded Research Program Documents (.xls spreadsheet)

Completed Research Reports:

( you can also browse the reports by vendor here)

Vendor	Main Report	Report No.
Aerospace	Development of Machine-Augmented Composite for Infrastructure Applications (CD) Report	59A0188, ATR 2004-1	all files
Aerospace	The Application of Qualification Testing, Field Testing and Accelerated Testing of Estimating Long-Term Durability of Composite Materials for Caltrans Applications 2004, 2005	59A0188, 7796-1	all files
Aerospace	Using Composites in Seismic Retrofit Applications 2005	59A0188, 7796-2	all files
Alabama	Assessment of Durability of FRP Materials for use in Civil Infrastructure Report	59A0602, UAH-11/1
Cal Poly	Bridge Design for Earthquake Fault Crossing: Synthesis of Design Issues and Strategies Report	65A0379, CP/SEAM-2012/01
Cal Poly	Concrete Bridge Deck Crack Sealing: An Overview of Research Report	59A0459	all files
Caltrans	SEISMIC HAZARD MAPS 1996		all files
CSUS	Plastic Energy Absorption Capacity of #18 Reinforcing Bar Splices Under Monotonic Loading Report	638041-33174	all files
Iowa State	Seismic Performance of an I-Girder to Inverted-T Bent Cap Connection Report	59A0615
Missouri S&T	Crack Detection in RC Columns Report	59A0571	all files
Montana State	Validating the Durability of Corrosion Resistant Mineral Admixture Concrete Report	CA10-0939	all files
San Jose State	Creep and Shrinkage of High Performance Concrete for the Skyway Structures of the New SFOBB Report	59A0632, CA10-1131
San Jose State	Strength Unit Weight and Elasticity of Concrete for the Benicia Martinez Bridge Report	59A0682, CA10-1862
San Jose State	The Effects of Heat of Hydration of Mass Concrete for Cast-In-Place Concrete Piles Report	59A0521
Texas A&M	A General Methodology to Non-Destructively Evaluate Bridge Structural Safety		all files
UC Berkeley	Analysis of Ordinary Bridges Crossing Fault Rupture Zones Report	EERC 2008-01	all files
UC Berkeley	Effects of Local Deformations on Lateral Response of Bridge Frames DESIGN/ANALYSIS EXAMPLE, Report 1/2, Report 2/2		all files
UC Berkeley	Experimental and Computational Evaluation of Current and Innovative In-Span Hinge Details in Reinforced Concrete Box-Girder Bridges-Part 1: Experimental Findings and Pre-Test Analysis Report	PEER 2008/103
UC Berkeley	Experimental and Computational Evaluation of Current and Innovative In-Span Hinge Details in Reinforced Concrete Box-Girder Bridges-Part 2: Post-Test Analysis and Design Recommendations Report	PEER 2009/107
UC Berkeley	Fatigue Life Evaluation of Changeable Message Sign Structures, Report	1997-13	all files
UC Berkeley	In-Situ Monitoring of the Force Output of Fluid Dampers: Experimental Investigation Report	PEER 2011/103
UC Berkeley	Near-Fault Seismic Ground Motions Report Report	EERC 2007-03	all files
UC Berkeley	Stochastic Dynamic Analysis of Bridges Subjected to Spatially Varying Ground Motions Report	59A0580, PEER 2011/105
UC Berkeley	Stochastic Model and Simulation of Near Fault Ground Motions for Specified Earthquake Source and Site Characteristics Report	59A0582
UC Berkeley	Viscous Heating of Fluid Dampers Under Wind and Seismic Loading: Experimental Studies, Mathematical Modeling and Design Formulae Report	EERC 2006/-01	all files
UC Davis	Development of Guidelines for Incorporation of Vertical Ground Motion Effects in Seismic Design of Highway Bridges Report	59A0434
UC Davis	Effect of Vertical Ground Motions on Shear Demand and Capacity in Bridge Columns Report	59A0688
UC Davis	Shortening Closure Pour Waiting Time for Bridge Construction Report	59A0567
UC Davis	Full-Scale Shake Table Test of Retaining Walls with and without Sound Wall Report	59A0650
UC Irvine	Long-Term Structural Performance Monitoring of Bridges		all files
UC Irvine	Socio-Economic Effect of Seismic Retrofit Implemented on Bridges in Los Angeles Highway Network Report		all files
UC Irvine	DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVE SYSTEM DAMPING OF HIGHWAY BRIDGES Report	2009-001	all files
UC Irvine	VERIFICATION OF COMPUTER ANALYSIS MODELS FOR SUSPENSION BRIDGES Report	2009-002	all files
UC Irvine	Structural Qualification Testing of Composite Jacketed Circular and Rectangular Bridge Columns Report	1999-01	all files
UC Irvine	Utilization of Strong Motion Data for Toll Bridge Damage Assessment Report	59A0689, CA/CEEMF006
UC San Diego	A DAMAGE IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURE FOR BRIDGE STRUCTURES WITH ENERGY DISSIPATION DEVICES Report	2007-08	all files
UC San Diego	A Simplified Method For Prediction of Long-Term Prestress Loss in Post-Tensioned Concrete Bridges Report	2006/21	all files
UC San Diego	The Assessment of Aspects Related to Defect Criticality in CFRP Strengthened Concrete Flexural Members Report	2006/11	all files
UC San Diego	Assessment of FRP Composite Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Structures at the Component and Systems Level Through Progressive Damage and Non-Destructive Evaluation Report	2006/12	all files
UC San Diego	Cyclic Tests of Structural Wall with Highly-Confined Boundary Elements Phase III-Web Crushing (CD) Report	2001/27	all files
UC San Diego	Development of Resistance Factors For LRFD Design For FRP Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Bridges Report	2006/13	all files
UC San Diego	Development of Seismic Design Guidelines for Segmental Construction Report	10/02 59A0622	all files
UC San Diego	Durability Data for FRP Rehabilitation Systems Report	2009/05	all files
UC San Diego	Effect of Pile Diameter on the Modulus of Sup-Grade reaction Report	2001/22	all files
UC San Diego	Effects of Construction Methods on the Axial Capacity of Drilled Shafts Report	2004/17	all files
UC San Diego	Effects of Fabrication Procedures and Weld Melt-Through on Fatigue Resistance of Orthotropic Steel Deck Welds Report	2007/13	all files
UC San Diego	Effects of Soil Slope on Lateral Capacity of Piles in Cohesive and Cohesionless Soils Report	59A0645, CA-11-0932
UC San Diego	Evaluation of Long-Term Prestress Losses in Post-Tensioned Box-Girder Bridges Report	59A0420, 2011/02
UC San Diego	Experimental and Analytical Investigation on Stiffness and Ultimate Capacity of Bridge Abutments Report	2007-12	all files
UC San Diego	Experimental Investigation of Ductility of In-Ground Hinges in Solid and Hollow Prestressed Piles Report	97/17	all files
UC San Diego	Experimental Verification of the Influence of Time0Dependent Material Properties on Long-Term Bridge Characteristics Report	2006/20	all files
UC San Diego	Field Investigation Report for Abutment Backfill Characterization Report	2005/02	all files
UC San Diego	Flexural Behavior of Circular Hollow Columns with a Single Layer of Reinforcement under Seismic Loading Report	2000/13	all files
UC San Diego	Full Scale Load Testing of Sand-Jacks Report	2005/06	all files
UC San Diego	Hygrothermal Effects on Durability and Moisture Kinetics of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites Report	2006/15	all files
UC San Diego	Investigation of Integrity and Effectiveness of RC Bridge Deck Rehabilitation with CFRP Composites Report	04/08	all files
UC San Diego	Long-Term Performance of Epoxy Bonded Rebar Couplers report	SSRP 09/09
UC San Diego	Performance of Lead-Rubber and Sliding Bearings under Different Axial Load and Velocity Conditions 06-5 Report	2006-05	all files
UC San Diego	Response of the Coronado Bay Bridge Pile-to-Pile Cap Connections Under Simulated Seismic Loads Report	97/11	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Design and Performance of Precast Concrete Segmental Bridge Columns (CD) Report	2001/25	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Performance of CIDH Pile-Supported Footings (CD) Report	2001/26	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Performance of Circular Hollow Columns Subjected to High Shear (CD) Report	2001/01	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Performance of Hollow Rectangular Reinforced Concrete Piers with Highly-Confined Boundary Element Phase I & Phase II Report	99/15	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Performance of Precast Segmental Bridge Superstructures (CD) Report	2001/24	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Response of Integral Bridge Connections Report	2000/16	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Response of Precast Segmental Bridge Superstructures Report	2006/18	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Response of Sacrificial Exterior Shear Keys in Bridge Abutments Report	2004/14	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Response of Sacrificial Shear Keys in Bridge Abutments Report	2001/23	all files
UC San Diego	Seismic Testing of Precast Segmental Bridges Phase III: Bridge System Test Report	2005/01	all files
UC San Diego	Structural Response Assessment of Soil Nail Wall Facings Report	96/01	all files
UC San Diego	Structural Response of Near Surface Mounted CFRP Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Bridge Deck Overhang Report	2009/03	all files
UC San Diego	Structural Systems Research Report Report	2006/16	all files
UC San Diego	TILT: The Treasure Island Liquefaction Test Report	2001/17	all files
UCLA	Full Scale Cyclic Testing of Foundation Support Systems for Highway Bridges. Part I: Drilled Shaft Foundations	2007/01	all files
UCLA	Abutment Backwalls: Full scale Cyclic Testing of Foundation Support Systems for Highway Bridges, Part II	UCLA-SGEL 2007/02	all files
UN Reno	Behavior of Pile Extension Connections to Slab Bridges under Cyclic Loading Report	59A0501, CCEER10-06	all files
UN Reno	Guidelines for the Seismic Design of Ductile End Cross Frames in Steel Girder Bridge Superstructures, Report	2009-04	all files
UN Reno	Impact of Aspect Ratio on Two-Column Bent Seismic Performance Report	2004-03	all files
UN Reno	Recommendations for the Design of Beams and Posts in Bridge Falsework Report	2005/11	all files
UN Reno	Seismic Design of Pipe-Pin Connections in Concrete Bridges , Report	2010-01	all files

UN Reno	Seismic Performance of RC Bridge Columns Reinforced with Two Interlocking Spirals Report	2004/06	all files
UN Reno	Seismic Performance of RC Bridge Frames with Architectural Flared Columns Report	2003-03	all files
UN Reno	Static and Dynamic Performance of Bridge Bents with Architectural-Flared Columns Report	2003-08	all files
UN Reno	Laterally Loaded Long or Intermediate Shafts of Small or Large Diameter in Layered Soil TOC, Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Abstract, Refs.	59A0348	all files
USC	Damper System Identification and Damage Detection Report		all files
Washington	An Initial Study into the use of Concrete Filled Steel Tubes for Bridge Piers and Foundation Connections Report	CA12-1972 59A0641

end of STAP Technical Reports section..

Research Implementation Reports

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Research Notes

Analysis of “Ordinary” Bridges in Fault-Rupture Zones: Part I – Across-Fault Ground Motions (.pdf)

Analysis of “Ordinary” Bridges in Fault-Rupture Zones: Part II – Estimating Seismic Demands (.pdf)

Bridge Design for Earthquake Fault Crossings: Synthesis of Design Issues and Strategies (.pdf)

Concrete Bridge Deck Crack Sealing: An Overview of Research (.pdf)

Creep and Drying Shrinkage of High Performance Concrete for the Skyway Structures of the New SFOBB (.pdf)

DES Research Notes Inaugural Issue v3 (.pdf)

Determine Methods to Control Heat of Hydration with Placement of Mass Concrete for Cast-In-Place Concrete piles (pdf)

Effect of Vertical Ground Motions on Shear Demand and Capacity in Bridge Columns (pdf)

Full Scale Cyclic Large Deflection Testing of Foundation Support Systems for Highway Bridges (pdf)

Full Scale Shake Table Test of Retaining Walls with and without Sound Wall (pdf)

Long-Term Performance of Epoxy-Bonded Rebar-Couplers (.pdf)

Long-Term Structural Performance Monitoring of Bridges – Phase II (.pdf)

Performance of Seismic Isolation Hardware under Service and Seismic Loading (.pdf)

Post-Earthquake Evaluation and Emergency Repair of Earthquake-Damaged RC Bridge Columns Using CFRP Materials (.pdf)

Rapid Construction of Bridge Piers with Improved Seismic Performance (pdf)

Response of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Deck Overhang Strengthened with Near Surface Mounted CFRP (pdf)

Sand-Jack Design and Capacity for Bridge Construction (pdf)

Seismic Analysis and Design of Ductile End Cross Frames in Steel Plate Girder Bridges(.pdf)

Seismic Design of Telescopic Pipe-Pin Connections in Concrete Bridges (.pdf)

Seismic Response of Precast Segmental Bridge Superstructures: Analytical and Experimental Results (pdf)

Service Performance of Bridge Approach Slabs (.pdf)

Sill Beam Design and Capacity for Bridge Construction (pdf)

Stability of Bridge Column Rebar Cages (.pdf)

Strength, Unit Weight and Elasticity of Concrete Cylinders from Benicia-Martinez Bridge (.pdf)

Strong Motion Instrumentation of Bridges and Downhole sites (.pdf)

Testing Piles Extension Connection to Slab Bridges (.pdf)

The Socio-Economic Effect of Seismic Retrofit Implemented on Bridges in the Los Angeles Highway Network (.pdf)

Validating the Durability of Corrosion Resistant Mineral Admixture Concrete (.pdf)

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Contact us

Office of Earthquake engineering mailing address

California Department of Transportation
Division of Engineering Services
Office of Earthquake Engineering
P.O. Box 168041, MS 9-2/5i
Sacramento, California 95816-8041

Office fax 916-227-8898

Tom Ostrom
916-227-4119

Charles Sikorsky
916-227-8759