26 - Expansion joints and structural bearings

Abstract

Expansion joints and structural bearings are commonly produced according to codes and standards, and for railways, they are also created according to specific railway authority sanctions. Expansion joints for bridges are used to ensure the continuity of the running surface as well as the bearing capacity and the movement of the bridges, whatever the nature of the structure constitutive material. Bridge bearings ensure adequate mutual connection of different parts of a bridge, allowing the transfer of vehicular and external loads from the superstructure down to the substructure. Seismic bearings can mitigate the seismic damage to bridge structures with the mutual support of energy dissipation and dynamic isolation.