POT BEARINGS

1.0

(4-18-00)

GENERAL
This item shall consist of furnishing, fabrication and installation of pot bearings in
accordance with AASHTO Standard Specifications, the Standard Specifications, the
recommendations of the manufacturer and the details shown on plans and as specified
herein.
Fixed pot bearings consist of a sole plate, a disc of elastomer in a steel cylinder with a snug
fitting steel piston, masonry plate, anchor bolts, nuts and washers. Expansion pot bearings
consist of a sole plate, a top steel plate with a polished stainless steel sheet facing, bearing
on a fixed pot bearing with a layer of virgin polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE) material on its
top, masonry plate, anchor bolt assembly which includes anchor bolts, nuts, washers, pipe
sleeves, a closure plate, grout and various sizes of standard pipe and any other necessary
material as detailed on the plans.

2.0

MATERIALS
All pot bearings shall be manufactured by the same manufacturer.
All steel in the pot bearings shall be AASHTO M270 Grade 345W. The plates in the pot
bearing assemblies, except for the areas with special facings and the internal surfaces of pot
shall be cleaned, coated, and sealed in accordance with the Special Provision for Thermal
Sprayed Coatings (Metallization). The fabricator may metallize the internal surfaces of
the pot provided these surfaces are then polished to a surface smoother than 0.0016 mm
root mean square. Surfaces shall be coated to a thickness of 0.150 mm minimum on all
external parts. Surfaces that are abraded or damaged after the application of metallizing
shall be repaired in accordance with the Special Provision for Thermal Sprayed Coatings
(Metallization).
Fill plates, when specified on the plans, shall be galvanized. Anchor bolts and nuts shall be
in accordance with the Standard Specifications.
The stainless steel sheet in expansion pot bearings shall be at least 16 gage or 1.6 mm when
the maximum plan dimension of the sheet is 300 mm or less and at least 11 gage or 3 mm
when the maximum plan dimension is greater than 300 mm. All stainless steel sheets shall
be in conformance with ASTM A240/A167 Type 304 and polished to a minimum #8
mirror surface finish.
The surface of the plate to which the stainless sheet is to be attached shall be near white
blast cleaned in accordance with the Standard Specifications. The back of the stainless
sheet that is to be in contact with the steel plate shall be positioned on the steel plate and
clamped. The stainless steel sheet shall be applied to the blast cleaned surface of the steel
plate as soon as possible after blasting and before any visible oxidation of the blast cleaned
surface occurs. The stainless sheet shall be welded continuously around its perimeter using
a tungsten inert gas, wire-fed welder.

Rev. 4-18-00

The PTFE sheet, used as a mating surface for the stainless sheet, shall be an unfilled virgin
PTFE Sheet (Recessed) or a glass-fiber filled PTFE sheet, resulting from skiving billets
formed under hydraulic pressure and heat. The resin shall conform to the requirements of
ASTM D4895.
The bond between the PTFE and the piston shall be heat cured high temperature epoxy
capable of withstanding temperature of -195C to 260C.
The neoprene elastomer shall have a durometer hardness of 50 and shall provide for a
minimum rotation of 0.02 radians. A 0.4 mm thick unfilled polytetraflouroethylene disc
shall be placed on either side of the neoprene inside the bearing. Other material may be
used where approved by the Engineer. A brass sealing ring shall be used with the neoprene
elastomer.
3.0

DESIGN
Pot bearings shall be designed by the manufacturer for the loads and movements shown on
the contract plans, except that the anchor bolt size, length, spacing and masonry plate
thickness shall be as shown on the contract plans and the overall height of the bearing
assembly shall be at least the height shown on the contract plans, but no more than 13 mm
greater than this height. The sole plate and top plate/piston and the cylinder and masonry
plate shall be either combined and cast as a single piece or welded together.
In the design of the bearings, the following allowable bearing stresses shall be used:
On confined elastomer: 24.1 MPa
On PTFE Sliding Surface, filled or unfilled PTFE (recessed): 24.1 MPa

The Contractor shall submit eight sets of shop drawings and one set of design calculations
for the Engineers review, comments and acceptance. The shop drawings and design
calculations shall be checked and sealed by a North Carolina Registered Professional
Engineer.
After the drawings and corrections have been reviewed and, if necessary corrections made
to the drawings, the Contractor shall submit one 22" x 34" reproducible set of the working
drawings.
4.0

SAMPLING AND TESTING

A. Sampling
The manufacturer shall select, at random, sample bearings from completed lots of
bearings for testing by the manufacturer. The manufacturer shall provide certification
that the completed bearings and their components have been tested and are in

Rev. 4-18-00

compliance with the requirements of this Special Provision. The results of the
manufacturers tests shall be furnished to the Materials and Tests Engineer.
B. Testing
1. Proof Load Test
A test bearing shall be loaded to 150% of the bearings rated design capacity and
simultaneously subjected to a rotational range of 0.02 radians (1.146) for a period
of 1 hour.
The bearing will be visually examined both during the test and upon disassembly
after the test. Any resultant visual defects, such as extruded or deformed elastomer
or PTFE, damaged seals or rings, or cracked steel, shall be cause for rejection of the
lot.
During the test, the steel bearing plate and steel piston shall maintain continuous
and uniform contact for the duration of the test. Any observed lift-off will be cause
for rejection of the lot.
2. Sliding Coefficient of Friction
For all guided and non-guided expansion type bearings, the sliding coefficient of
friction shall be measured at the bearings design capacity in accordance with the
test method described below, and on the fifth and fiftieth cycles, at a sliding speed
of 25 mm/min.
The sliding coefficient of friction shall be calculated as the horizontal load required
to maintain continuous sliding of one bearing, divided by the bearings vertical
design capacity.
The test results will be evaluated as follows:
The measured sliding coefficients of friction shall not exceed 3%.
The bearing will be visually examined both during and after the test.

Any
resultant visual defects, such as bond failure, physical destruction, cold flow of
TFE to the point of debonding, or damaged components, shall be cause for
rejection of the lot.

Bearings not damaged during testing may be used in the work.

3. Test Method
The test method and equipment shall include the following requirements:
a. The test must be arranged so that the coefficient of friction on the first
movement of the manufactured bearing can be determined.

b. The bearing surface shall be cleaned prior to testing.

c. The test shall be conducted at maximum working stress for the PTFE surface
with the test load applied continuously for 12 hours prior to measuring friction.
d. The first movement static and dynamic coefficient of friction of the test bearing
shall be determined at a sliding speed of less than 25 mm/min and shall not
exceed:
0.04
0.08

unfilled PTFE
filled PTFE

e. The bearing specimen shall then be subjected to 100 movements of at least

25 mm of relative movement and, if the test facility permits, the full design
movement at a speed of less than 300 mm/min. Following this test the static
and kinetic coefficient of friction shall be determined again and shall not exceed
the values measured in (d) above. The bearing or specimen shall show no
appreciable sign of bond failure or other defects.
Bearings represented by test specimens passing the above requirements will be
approved for use in the structure subject to on-site inspection for visible defects.
5.0

INSTALLATION
Prior to shipment, a bead of caulk shall seal the joint between the steel piston and the steel
cylinder. Pot bearings delivered to the bridge site shall be stored under cover on a platform
above the ground surface. Bearings shall be protected at all times from injury and when
placed, bearings shall be dry, clean and free from dirt, oil, grease or other foreign
substances.
Bearings shall not be disassembled during installation, except at
manufacturers direction.
The bearings shall be placed in accordance with the
recommendations of the manufacturer, Contract Drawings, and as may be directed by the
Engineer. If there is any discrepancy between the recommendations of the manufacturer,
Special Provisions, and Contract Drawings, the Engineer shall be the sole judge in
reconciling any such discrepancy.
Preformed bearing pads shall be provided under the masonry plates. These bearing pads
shall conform to Article 1054-2 of the Standard Specifications.
No bearing shall be installed before it is approved by the Engineer.

6.0

BASIS OF PAYMENT
Payment shall be at the lump sum contract price bid for Pot Bearings which price shall be
full compensation for furnishing all labor, materials, tools, equipment and incidentals
required to complete the work in accordance with the Standard Specifications, this Special
Provision, the manufacturers requirements and as directed by the Engineer.