PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF THE KIRKGÖZELER BRIDGE UNDER COMBINED VEHICLE AND SEISMIC LOADS IN ERZURUM, TURKEY

Throughout history, transportation structures have played a vital role to ensure cultural and commercial interaction. Today, the continuation of this interaction and the transportation superstructure's ability to safely withstand vehicle and earthquake loads is critical. In the current study, the performance of the Kırkgözeler transportation superstructure, which is located in the Horasan district of Erzurum, Turkey and connects the villages in the region to the district and city center, has been evaluated. The performance of the Kırkgözeler bridge under vehicle and earthquake loads was evaluated using time history analyses. The results indicate that the bridge experiences limited damage under horizontal earthquake loading, but may sustain controllable damage, particularly in the main beams, under vertical earthquake loading. Reinforcement of the main beams is suggested to mitigate potential damage.