Study and Analysis of Railway Bridge Piers Using Mathematical and Computational Computing system

Most of the sub-structures of new railway river bridges in India are built with solid mass concrete gravity piers and abutments. These piers, designed without steel reinforcement, rely on the assumption that they are not subjected to tensile stresses under regular loading. However, during high-magnitude earthquakes, their safety becomes a critical concern, particularly in seismically active regions of India. This study assesses the seismic vulnerability of solid gravity bridge piers, which are key components of railway bridges, since they transfer loads between the substructure and the superstructure. Seven existing piers from the state of Gujarat were analyzed using free vibration analysis and nonlinear static (pushover) analysis in ABAQUS. Free vibration analysis revealed that the fundamental mode mass participation was always below 50%, while the cumulative participation of the first six modes remained under 80%, demonstrating significant contributions from higher vibration modes. Pushover analysis results confirmed the limited ductility of solid piers and highlighted their susceptibility under seismic excitations. The study emphasizes the need for seismic strengthening strategies to ensure the safety and serviceability of such piers.