Seismic design of highway bridge foundations with the effects of liquefaction since the 1995 Kobe earthquake

The seismic design of highway bridges has been improved through the lessons learned from earthquake damage and advances in earthquake engineering. The Design Specifications for Highway Bridges, including a volume on seismic design, have been revised three times since the 1995 Kobe earthquake. This report presents the major changes and improvements in the seismic design techniques for highway bridge foundations with the effects of liquefaction and their background since the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Particular emphasis is placed on the liquefaction potential assessment, ductility design of pier and abutment foundations for liquefaction, and seismic design of pier foundations for liquefaction-induced ground flow.