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In order to evaluate the deterioration characteristics during the lifecycle of bridge rubber bearing, a series of long-term accelerated exposure tests are performed on four kinds of rubber materials widely utilized for bridge bearings. Different degradation factors are applied in these tests, such as thermal oxidation, ozone, low temperature ozone, ultraviolet radiation, salt water and acid rain. The test duration lasts from 96 hours to more than 6,000 hours. Mechanical properties of aged rubber specimens are measured and compared. The effects of pre-strain are investigated too. The ageing behaviors of each kind of rubber are made clear. The test results are fundamental to the prediction of rubber bearings' durability.

In recent years, high damping rubber (HDR) bridge bearings have become widely used because of the excellent ability to provide high damping as well as flexibility. However, there are few systematic studies on the deterioration problems of HDRs during their service life, and usually the long-term performance was not considered in the design stage. In this research, through accelerated thermal oxidation tests on HDR blocks, the property variations inside the HDR bridge bearing are examined. A deterioration prediction model is developed to estimate the property profiles. Then using a constitutive model and carrying out FEM analysis, the behavior of a HDR bridge bearing during its lifespan is clarified. A design procedure is proposed that takes the long-term performance in the site environment into consideration.

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In recent years, high damping rubber (HDR) bridge bearings have become widely used because of the excellent ability to provide high damping as well as flexibility. However, there are few systematic studies on the deterioration problems of HDRs during their service life, and usually the long-term performance was not considered in the design stage. In this research, through accelerated thermal oxidation tests on HDR blocks, the property variations inside the HDR bridge bearing are examined. A deterioration prediction model is developed to estimate the property profiles. Then using a constitutive model and carrying out FEM analysis, the behavior of a HDR bridge bearing during its lifespan is clarified. A design procedure is proposed that takes the long-term performance in the site environment into consideration.

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