Interpretable Machine Learning for Predicting Residual Drift Ratios in Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers

Abstract

Accurate prediction of the residual drift ratio of reinforced concrete bridge piers is challenging because conventional methods are computationally expensive, time-consuming, and unable to effectively capture complex nonlinear interactions among multiple influencing factors. To address these limitations, this study proposes an interpretable machine learning framework for predicting the residual drift ratio of reinforced concrete bridge piers. A comprehensive database containing 261 quasi-static experimental datasets was established, incorporating key structural and material parameters, including axial com-pression ratio, shear span ratio, stirrup ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, material strengths, and geometric dimensions. Based on this database, six representative machine learning models were developed and systematically compared. Their predictive performance, robustness, and generalization capability were evaluated using multiple statistical metrics and Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the CatBoost model consistently outperformed the other models, achieving an R2 value of 0.9629 on the test set while maintaining excellent stability under random data partitions. Furthermore, SHAP analysis was employed to interpret the trained model and quantify the contributions of individual input variables. Eight key factors influencing the residual drift ratio were identified, with the loading displacement ratio (θ) exhibiting the greatest influence. These findings demonstrate that the proposed framework provides an accurate, reliable, and interpretable tool for predicting the post-earthquake residual drift ratio of reinforced concrete bridge piers, offering valuable support for performance-based seismic design, post-earthquake damage assessment, and resilience-based bridge engineering.