Hume Dam Hoist Bridge Pier Seismic Analysis, Victoria, Australia

HUME DAM TIME HISTORY ANALYSIS OF HOIST BRIDGE PIERS UNDER SEISMIC LOADING

COMPUSOFT ENGINEERING undertook a series of seismic analyses to assess the stability of the Hoist Bridge Piers of the Hume Dam.

The Hume Dam is a concrete gravity structure and is the major operating storage of the River Murray system. It has 29 gates measuring 7.9 high by 6.1m wide that allow for the control of water. The gates are raised and lowered using winches attached to the Hoist Bridge, a “portal” structure that spans across a major proportion of the dam.

A series of nonlinear analyses using both pushover and time history techniques were undertaken for the hoist bridge to assess its performance when subjected to various levels of seismic demand.