Abstract—A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. The function of a structure during and after an earthquake usually dictates the methodology employed in the design of the structure. Lifeline structures, such as bridges, are assigned a much higher ¡°importance¡± factor in the design process since these structures are ¡°essential facilities¡± necessary for emergency operations subsequent to an earthquake. Such structures should resist minor earthquakes without damage, moderate earthquakes without significant structural damage, and in the case of a major earthquake, some structural and non-structural damage is allowed, but it does not affect the functioning of the structure after the earthquake. The unexpected vulnerability in the bridge structures is due to considerable damages in their reinforced concrete piers, which implies that the non-linear behavior of these structural elements during intense earthquakes remains an important issue, both for designers and researchers. A study is carried out for the seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridge piers.