Caltrans Bridge Seismic Design

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Structures has created a seismic design code for both new and retrofitting existing bridges. The effort began with the San Fernando (Sylmar) Earthquake in February, 1971. Through research, consulting with seismic experts, cooperative sharing with other countries, and surveillance of bridge behavior during earthquakes, the seismic design codes, policies and procedures are continually examined and revised. This paper provides an overview of Caltrans' current new and retrofit seismic design criteria for bridges and a glimpse at pending and potential revision.