Abstract
The integral bridge abutment, as a special type of retaining wall, is subject to cyclic displacement, which is due to the daily and seasonal temperature variations. The frame of this type of bridges is rigid and jointless. This requires that the slab of the bridge to be longitudinally continuous without expansion joints. This causes cyclic displacement to be imposed to the backfill material of integral bridge abutment. It should be pointed out that the omission of expansion joints helps to provide a fluent traffic and a reduction in maintenance and repair of the bridges. To investigate the impact of cyclic displacement on the loose backfill soil behaviour, an innovative laboratory retaining wall model has been designed and constructed to imitate the cyclic behaviour of backfill granular material. In addition, a numerical model, based on finite element method, has been developed to interpret the experimental results. This model was calibrated using the laboratory test data. The results indicate that the passive pressure, except for low amplitude displacement, escalates with progressive number of cycles and its distribution is not linear, which is due to the forming arch.
Highlights
Integral bridges abutment are jointless bridges where the superstructure is connected with the abutment
The rigid connection enables the abutment and superstructure to act as a single structural unit. This is due to the removal of expansion joints in the slab of integral bridges
The expansion joints in traditional bridges are the main reason for damages
Summary
Integral bridges abutment are jointless bridges where the superstructure is connected with the abutment. The rigid connection enables the abutment and superstructure to act as a single structural unit. This is due to the removal of expansion joints in the slab of integral bridges. This type of joints is widely used in the slab of traditional bridges (Khodair, Hassiotis 2005). The expansion joints in traditional bridges are the main reason for damages. The consequence of the joint removal is that the bridge deck to be continuous. This, in turn, results in imposition of cyclic horizontal displacements to the backfill soil of the abutments (Darley et al 1998; Dicleli, Albhaisi 2004; Hoppe, Gomez 1996)
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