ABSTRACT Concrete pedestals under bridge bearing are sources of high stress zones that exhibit complex damage mechanisms under serviceability limit states. These damages are hard to detect and repair; however, if not treated early, they can lead to twisted or slant bridge girders with potential safety risks to the vehicles. With a view to understand the structural responses of these pedestals, a three-dimensional nonlinear explicit finite element modelling method has been developed and reported in this paper. The nonlinearity of the materials and the contact interaction between the bearing and the pedestal has been accounted for the model. It is shown that the model is capable of predicting the localised damages to the concrete pedestals comparable to those occur in the field. It is also shown that the sharp edges of the concrete pedestal are vulnerable to severe damages due to tensile stress singularities; modifying the shape of the edges appears prudent.