This study investigates the seismic performance of shallow socket bridge piers used in the Zhengzhou-Jinan high-speed railway. In-situ full-scale quasi-static cyclic load tests and finite element simulations using ABAQUS were conducted through quasi-static analyses. After validating the finite element model’s accuracy, a comprehensive parametric study was performed to assess the effectiveness of the shallow socket connection and systematically evaluate the influence of key design parameters, including socket depth, pier diameter, and aspect ratio. The results indicate that reasonably designed shallow socket bridge piers exhibit mechanical performance comparable to cast-in-place integral bridge piers. The mechanical performance of socket bridge piers is governed by the weakest component. Increasing the socket depth markedly improves the post-peak ductility of the pier, resulting in ductile bending failure. While a large pier diameter improves the load-bearing capacity, it also raises the likelihood of brittle failure in the socket connection components. In addition, increasing the height of the pier columns substantially compromises seismic performance, altering the failure mode of the bridge piers.
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