From developing a comprehensive seismic protection strategy to delivering and installing devices engineered, manufactured and tested in-house, Bridgent provides turnkey solutions for bridge and structural seismic retrofit, earthquake strengthening and post-seismic repair.
The primary goal of seismic retrofitting is to safeguard lives, ensure the continued operation of critical emergency services, and maintain the functional continuity of essential infrastructure — including bridges, hospitals and industrial facilities.
Bridgent's seismic engineering specialists are regularly engaged to resolve complex bridge and structural strengthening challenges. Our teams respond by proposing bespoke solutions that combine advanced seismic protection devices with proven structural reinforcement techniques.
We deliver technical solutions for seismic strengthening programmes across the full spectrum of infrastructure — from standard residential and commercial buildings (apartments, schools, hospitals, offices) to major civil structures such as dams, bridges, viaducts and industrial plants.
An optimal bridge or building retrofit solution can only be identified following a rigorous diagnosis of the structure's seismic resilience. Bridgent proposes a comprehensive assessment methodology — tailored to the structure type — encompassing an on-site investigation programme and preliminary numerical modelling of the as-built condition.
Based on the target level of seismic protection, Bridgent develops technical specifications and tailored strengthening strategies aligned with architectural requirements and site execution constraints. Our solutions integrate the most advanced concrete and steel repair technologies alongside our proprietary Bridgent Seismic Device range.
Where the selected retrofit strategy incorporates Bridgent seismic isolation or damping devices, our engineers perform pre-dimensioning using advanced finite element models of the target structure. This preliminary sizing streamlines the final device specification by the project design office and accelerates programme delivery.
Bridgent's specialist site teams repair and reinforce the existing steel or concrete bridge and structural elements, then supply and install the earthquake protection devices. Our construction heritage and global project experience enable us to execute technically demanding seismic retrofit works safely and on programme.
Bridgent's specialist seismic engineers assess and recommend the most effective protection options for each bridge or structure, then design and size the selected solution using state-of-the-art digital modelling and finite element analysis.
The Bridgent Seismic Device range is entirely conceived and manufactured within our own design offices and production facility — covering damping, isolation, connection and junction systems for bridges and buildings.
With over 1,400 seismic devices tested since 2017, Bridgent's dedicated laboratory is among the most active in the industry. All devices are validated against the principal international standards (EN 15129, AASHTO, AS 5100, NCh2745, etc.).
More than 200 completed building references (Turkey, Italy, Romania, Chile, etc.) and 700 engineering structure references (Greece, Italy, Mexico, UAE, Philippines, Algeria, Panama, Romania, Georgia, Taiwan, Canada, etc.).
The seismic repair or strengthening strategy must be tailored to each individual structure, taking into account its stiffness characteristics, construction materials and exposure conditions.
To reduce the seismic vulnerability of low-ductility bridges and structures, it is generally more effective to increase their load-bearing capacity so they can withstand higher earthquake forces, rather than attempting to improve ductility alone.
This technique is well suited to seismic strengthening of bridges and civil structures, serving multiple purposes: introducing compressive stresses into concrete elements; stabilising structures against foundation uplift during seismic events; and connecting adjacent structures to improve overall resilience.
Dry shotcrete reinforcement increases the strength and resilience of structural elements by enlarging their reinforced concrete cross-section — a proven technique for bridge pier and column strengthening under seismic loading.
Steel bracing supplements the existing lateral load system of a bridge or building, distributing seismic actions more effectively across the structure. When combined with seismic dampers, bracing systems can dissipate significant earthquake energy even over very short displacement strokes.
Enhancing ductility means making the bridge or structure more deformable prior to failure — without increasing the seismic forces it is subjected to — so that seismic energy is distributed across the whole structure and its inherent resilience is more fully utilised. Containment of plastic hinge zones in reinforced concrete elements is a key application of this strategy.
Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are a proven solution for improving the seismic resilience of reinforced concrete and masonry bridge elements — without adding mass or significantly increasing stiffness. Applications include jacketing of bridge beams and columns, and strengthening of walls in shear and flexure.
Seismic action on a bridge or building can be substantially reduced by dynamically isolating the foundation structure from the superstructure. The isolator introduces a frequency shift that acts in the horizontal direction as a low-frequency oscillator — significantly limiting the seismic forces transmitted to the structure above. Even after major earthquake events, damage is limited and structures remain operational.
For existing bridges and buildings, inserting seismic isolators requires disconnecting the superstructure from the substructure. The standard procedure is to temporarily unload a column or pier, cut it to create the installation space, insert the isolator, and then re-load the structure. This technique is particularly effective for bridge seismic retrofit projects.
Significant programme and budget savings were achieved when Bridgent proposed an innovative bridge rehabilitation scheme as an alternative to full replacement of this historic city-centre bridge in Manila — preserving heritage while delivering modern seismic performance.
The seismic protection bearings and dampers designed for this historic building in Bucharest were of such exceptional scale that they required specialist testing in a dedicated laboratory — demonstrating Bridgent's capability to deliver large-format seismic devices for landmark structures.
The design and installation of base isolation for this Turkish hospital presented a unique engineering challenge: the facility comprised sixteen structurally independent blocks, each of varying height and plan dimensions, requiring a bespoke isolation strategy for each block.
A pioneer in the engineering and manufacture of earthquake protection systems, Bridgent offers a comprehensive portfolio of seismic devices and associated services — covering damping, isolation, connection and junction solutions for bridges, buildings and critical infrastructure.
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