This paper presents the results of a study on the effects of pounding at expansion joints of concrete bridges under earthquake ground motions. An engineering approach, rather than continuum mechanics, is emphasized. First, the sensitivity analysis of the gap element stiffness is performed. Second, usefulness of the analysis method for simulation of pounding phenomena is demonstrated. Third, the effects of pounding on the ductility demands measured in terms of the rotation of column ends are investigated. Two-dimensional FE analysis using a bilinear hysterestic model for bridge substructure joints and a nonlinear gap element for the expansion joint is performed on a realistic bridge with an expansion joint. Effects of the primary factors on the ductility demand such as gap sizes and characteristics of earthquake ground motion are investigated through a parametric study. The major conclusions are that pounding effect is generally negligible on the ductility demand for wide practical ranges of gap size and peak ground acceleration, but is potentially significant at the locations of impact.