Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BridgeAbutments
HomeAboutBridgeDesign.DesignNotes.Abutments.Bearings.Deck.Drainage.
Foundations.Joints.Parapets.Piers.WingWalls.Calculations.SpreadsheetsTutorials
WorkshopResources
BridgeDesign&Assessment
Go
Menu
HomeAboutBridgeDesign.DesignNotes.Abutments.Bearings.Deck.Drainage.Foundations.
Joints.Parapets.Piers.WingWalls.Calculations.SpreadsheetsTutorialsWorkshopResources
closemenu
Youarehere:HomeBridgeDesignDesignNotesAbutments
Scrolltotop
AbutmentDesignStandards
AbutmentDesignStandardsEurocodes
EN199111:ActionsonStructuresGeneralActions
EN199115:ActionsonStructuresThermalActions
EN199117:ActionsonStructuresAccidentalActions
EN19912:ActionsonStructuresTrafficLoadsonBridges
EN199211:DesignofConcreteStructuresGeneralRules
EN19922:DesignofConcreteStructuresBridges
EN19935:DesignofSteelStructuresPiling
EN19971:GeotechnicalDesignGeneralRules
EN19982:DesignofStructuresforEarthquakeResistanceBridges
EN19985:DesignofStructuresforEarthquakeResistanceGeotechnical
Aspects
EachdocumentisaccompaniedbyaNationalAnnex
BritishStandards
BS5400:Part2:SpecificationforLoads
BS5400:Part4:CodeofPracticefortheDesignofConcreteBridges
BS8002:CodeofPracticeforEarthRetainingStructures
BS8006:Strengthened/ReinforcedSoilsandOtherFills
BS8500:ConcreteComplementaryBritishStandardtoBSEN2061
BS8666:Specificationforscheduling,dimensioning,bendingandcuttingof
steelreinforcementforconcrete
DesignManualforRoadsandBridges
BD30:BackfilledRetainingWallsandBridgeAbutments
BD37:LoadsforHighwayBridges
http://www.bridgedesign.org.uk/parts/abut.html
1/4
11/14/2015
BridgeAbutments
BA41:TheDesignandAppearanceofBridges
BA42:TheDesignofIntegralBridges
BD42:DesignofEmbeddedRetainingWallsandBridgeAbutments
BD57andBA57:DesignforDurability
BD70:Strengthened/ReinforcedSoilsandOtherFillsforRetainingWallsand
BridgeAbutments
ChoiceofAbutment
Currentpracticeistomakedecksintegralwiththeabutments.Theobjectiveistoavoidtheuseof
jointsoverabutmentsandpiers.Expansionjointsarepronetoleakandallowtheingressofdeicing
saltsintothebridgedeckandsubstructure.Ingeneralallbridgesaremadecontinuousover
intermediatesupports,anddecksunder60metreslongwithskewsnotexceeding30aremade
integralwiththeirabutments.
Fullheightintegralabutments(DfTBA42/96callFrameAbutments)aregenerallyusedforthe
shorterspans(<about20m).
Integralabutmentswithpiledfoundations(DfTBA42/96callEmbeddedAbutments)usually
incorporatesteelHpilesinasinglerowtheHpilesareorientatedsothatbendingoccursabouttheir
weakeraxis.Theseabutmentsaresuitableforthelargerspandecks.
Integralabutmentswithspreadfootings(DfTBA42/96callBankPadAbutments)shouldonlybe
usedwheresettlementduetoconsolidationoffoundingstrataisminimal.
Wheredecksexceed60metreslongorhaveskewsexceeding30thenmovementjointsandbearings
usuallyneedtobeprovided.
GeometricConsiderations
OpenSideSpanwithBankSeats
http://www.bridgedesign.org.uk/parts/abut.html
2/4
11/14/2015
BridgeAbutments
SolidSideSpanwithFullHeightAbutments
Usuallythenarrowbridgeischeaperintheopenabutmentformandthewidebridgeischeaperinthe
solidabutmentform.Theexacttransitionpointbetweenthetwotypesdependsverymuchonthe
geometryandthesiteoftheparticularbridge.Inmostcasestheopenabutmentsolutionhasabetter
appearanceandislessintrusiveonthegeneralflowofthegroundcontoursandforthesereasonsisto
bepreferred.Itisthecostofthewingwallswhenrelatedtothedeckcostswhichswingsthebalance
ofcostinfavourofthesolidabutmentsolutionforwiderbridges.Howeverthewiderbridgeswith
solidabutmentsproduceatunnellingeffectandcostshavetobeconsideredinconjunctionwiththe
properfunctioningofthestructurewherefasttrafficispassingbeneath.Solidabutmentsfornarrow
bridgesshouldonlybeadoptedwheretheopenabutmentsolutionisnotpossible.Inthecaseofwide
bridgestheopenabutmentsolutionistobepreferred,buttherearemanycaseswhereeconomymust
betheoverridingconsideration.
DesignConsiderations
Loadstransmittedbythebridgedeckontotheabutmentare:
i. Verticalloadsfromselfweightofdeck.
ii. Verticalloadsfromliveloadingconditions.
iii. Horizontalloadsfromtemperature,creepmovementsetcandwind.
iv. Horizontalloadsfrombrakingandskiddingeffectsofvehicles.
Theseloadsarecarriedbythebearingswhichareseatedontheabutmentbearingplatform.The
horizontalloadsmaybereducedbydependingonthecoefficientoffrictionofthebearingsatthe
movementjointinthestructure.
However,thefullbrakingeffectistobetaken,ineitherdirection,ontopoftheabutmentat
carriagewaylevel.
Inadditiontothestructureloads,horizontalpressuresexertedbythefillmaterialagainsttheabutment
wallsistobeconsidered.Alsoaverticalloadingfromtheweightofthefillactsonthefooting.
Vehicleloadsattherearoftheabutmentsareconsideredbyapplyingasurchargeloadontherearof
thewall.
Forcertainshortsinglespanstructuresitispossibletousethebridgedecktopropthetwoabutments
apart.Thisentailstheabutmentwallbeingdesignedasaproppedcantilever.
BridgeComponents|AbutmentDesignExample
Share
DavidChildsB.Sc,C.Eng,MICE
Home
CookieInfo
PrivacyPolicy
http://www.bridgedesign.org.uk/parts/abut.html
3/4
11/14/2015
BridgeAbutments
TermsofUse
About
Projects
Contact
Welcome
BridgeDesign
DesignNotes
Calculations
Spreadsheets
Tutorials
Workshop
BS5400&DMRB
Eurocodes
Resources
Codes&Books
BridgePictures
Links
SiteMap
http://www.bridgedesign.org.uk/parts/abut.html
4/4