A Comparative Analysis of the Seismic Response of Nearby Tunnels and Bridges

A common perception regards the expected high robustness of tunnels to seismic events, especially those excavated in hard rock. Indeed, on the one hand, recent works have highlighted that both underwater and mountain tunnels might not be as earthquake-resistant as once expected. Nevertheless, on the other hand, they generally suffer much less seismic damage than above-ground structures and infrastructures. In any case, a direct comparison of the actual response of side-by-side above- and underground infrastructures is still missing. This study investigates the seismic responses of a nearby bridge and tunnel (located in the San Francisco Bay Area), focusing on one near-fault earthquake and considering different structural parts of the bridge super and substructure. The experimental evidence is used to compare the dynamic behaviour of these strategic infrastructure assets