federation internationale du beton (fib) International federation for structural concrete Case Postale 88, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Phone +41 21 693 2747 * Fax +41 21 693 6245 fib@epfl.ch * www.fib-international.org For immediate release Press contact: Laura Thommen-Vidale, Editor Email: laura.thommen-vidale@epfl.ch Tel.: +41 21 693 2747 Fax: +41 21 693 6245 Press area: www.fib-international.org/press Lausanne, 30 July 2007 ref. PR07004 fib Bulletin 39: Seismic bridge design and retrofit - structural soluctions The latest fib Bulletin, number 39, "Seismic bridge design and retrofit - structural solutions", is now available for purchase from the fib secretariat. Bridge structures can give the impression of being rather simple structural systems, with seismic responses that can be easily predicted. However, during recent earthquakes many bridges did not perform well, showing a need for increased research to understand various potential problems and collapse mechanisms. Indeed, progress has been made recently in design and assessment procedures around the world, and consequently many practices have changed. In this context, the objective of fib Bulletin 39 is to present, discuss and critically compare structural solutions for bridge seismic design and retrofit that have been developed and are now used all over the world, ten years after the publication of the last comprehensive manual on the subject. It is the result of the work of an international team of experts that collaborated intensively for over three years. Extensive technical developments have been taking place in the last two decades with the goal of making bridges an important transportation infrastructure with limited damage during earthquakes. Achieving this goal depends on regional seismicity, transportation systems, seismic performance goals, local cultures, and a wide range of design and construction practices, which are presented and discussed in this bulletin. The first four chapters present a review of regional design choices, examine international design practices, and indicate their relative merits and potential problems. Current developments are addressed in the next three chapters, with emphasis on design for enhanced damage control, for spatial variation of ground motion and for fault crossing. The last part provides a summary of current issues related to existing bridges. A review copy of Bulletin 39 can be provided on request. Pages: 300 Price: CHF 160 (non-member price), including surface mail ISBN 978-2-88394-079-6 To order this Bulletin, use the order form at www.fib-international.org/publications/order/. ### Note: On request, the text of this press release can be provided in French or German