PIER:-

A pier is a raised structure in a body of water, typically supported by piles or pillars. Bridges, buildings,
and walkways may all be supported by piers. Their open structure allows tides and currents to flow relatively unhindered,
whereas the more solid foundations of a quay or the closely spaced piles of a wharf can act as a breakwater, and are
consequently more liable to silting. Piers can range in size and complexity from a simple lightweight wooden structure to
major structures extended over 1,600 m (5,200 ft). In American English, a pier may be synonymous with a dock.
Piers have been built for several purposes, and because these different purposes have distinct regional variances, the
term pier tends to have different nuances of meaning in different parts of the world. Thus in North America and Australia,
where many ports were, until recently, built on the multiple pier models, the term tends to imply a current or former
cargo-handling facility. In Europe in contrast, where ports more often use basins and river-side quays than piers, the term
is principally associated with the image of a Victorian cast iron pleasure pier. However, the earliest piers pre-date
the Victorian age

Table:-Maximum permissible stresses in various material used for substructure

S.N Material Maximum permissible Maximum permissible tensile stress

. compressive stress (N/mm2) (N/mm2

Mass1concrete (1:3:6 mix by volume) 2.00 0.25

Reinforced concrete (M-15 grade) 4.00 0.50

Coursed rubble masonry in cement mortar 1:4 1.50 0.30

Brick masonry in cement mortar 1:6 1.00 0.02

Prestressed concrete ( M-40 grade) 14.00 Not to exceed 3 N/mm2 in type 2

member
REQUIREMENTS OF BRIDGE PIERS
1. It should effectively transfer loads from Superstructure to foundation without failure.
2. It should withstand all force actions
3. The material for the piers should be easily available
4. It should have pleasant appearance.
5. Its design should be simple.
6. The piers should be durable against weathering, impacts and corrosion.
7. The cost of construction should be cheap.
8. It should have minimum repair and maintenance cost
9. It should have stability against the lateral and longitudinal force actions, viz. Seismic, Wind, Ice, Currents, and
impacts.

SELECTION CRITERIA:-
Selection of the type of piers for a bridge should be based on functional, structural, and geometric requirements.
Aesthetics is also a very important factor of selection since modern highway bridges are part of a city’s landscape. Fig-
1 shows a collection of typical cross section shapes for overcrossings and viaducts on land and Fig-2 shows some typical
cross section shapes for piers of river and waterway crossings. Often, pier types are mandated by government agencies or
owners.

Fig.1:-Typical cross-section shapes of piers for over crossings or viaducts on land

 Fig.2:- Typical cross-section shapes of piers for river and waterway crossings

TYPE OF PIER:-
Pier is usually used as a general term for any type of substructure located between horizontal spans and foundations.
However, from time to time, it is also used particularly for a solid wall in order to distinguish it from columns or bents.
From a structural point of view, a column is a member that resists the lateral force mainly by flexure action whereas a pier
is a member that resists the lateral force mainly by a shear mechanism. A pier that consists of multiple columns is often
called a bent.

There are several ways of defining pier types. One is by its structural connectivity to the superstructure: monolithic or
cantilevered. Another is by its sectional shape: solid or hollow; round, octagonal, hexagonal, or rectangular. It can also be
distinguished by its framing configuration: single or multiple column bent; hammerhead or pier wall.

Type of piers to be used in the bridge depends upon the type of bridge, sub-soil conditions as well as the procedure
adopted for the construction of bridge. The bridge can be broadly divided into two parts:
1. Solid piers
➢ Solid masonry piers
➢ Solid RCC piers
2. Open piers
➢ Cylindrical piers
➢ Column bents
➢ Trestle piers or Trestle bent
➢ Pile bents
➢ Special or typical framed piers
1. Solid piers:-

These piers have solid and impermeable structure. The generally used materials used for the construction of these type of
piers are bricks, stone Masonry, mass concrete or RCC, etc. They may be further classified as:
➢ Solid masonry piles
The piers which are constructed with brick masonry, stone masonry, concrete etc. are known as solid masonry piers.
Sometimes it is seen that in solid masonry piles the outer portion is constructed with the stone masonry and the inner
part is filled with the help of mass concrete. In this way it can save the cost of construction.

Fig.1:-Solid Masonry piers

➢ Solid RCC Piers:

The solid piers which are constructed with the reinforcement are called RCC piers. These piers are generally rectangular
in cross-section and are generally used where the heights of the piers are more and the solid masonry piers will not be
strong enough to bear the load and can be uneconomical.
2. Open piers:-
The piers which are open i.e. which allows the water to pass through the structure are called as open piers. Open piers can
be classified into the following types:

➢ Cylindrical piers
➢ Column bents
➢ Trestle piers or Trestle bent
➢ Pile bents
➢ Special or typical framed piers

➢ Cylindrical piers:-

The piers which are constructed with the mild steels or cast iron cylinder in which the concrete are filled are known as
cylindrical piers. These are used for bridges having moderate height. Sometimes horizontal and diagonal steel bracing
are also provided for additional stability.
➢ Column piers or column bent:-
These are generally used for the bridges of large height. These are generally constructed over barge services.

➢ Trestle piers or Trestle bent:

It consists of column with bent cap at the top. As per the latest recommendation the hinges may also be provided. It is
generally used for flyovers and elevated roads. These are suitable for bridges where water current is slow and river
bed is sufficiently firm.
➢ Pile piers or Pile bents:-
These are used where the ground is unstable and the low piers are required. In these type of piers number of steel or
RCC piles are driven into the ground provided with the cap at their top to support the main girder. It is the common
variation of multicolumn bent. It is generally used for the type of bent on low height and short span structure.
➢ Typical Framed Piers:-
These are the latest type of piers used in the bridges. In these piers the effective span length for girders get reduced.
Hence the construction will be economical. The disadvantage of these type of piers is the accumulations of debris e.g
falling trees large floating materials, etc.

Classification of Bridge Piers based on Force Transfer Mechanisms:-

Based on the type of forces the pier is subjected to, bridge piers are classified as Fixed and Free piers. In a most simple
explanation, the piers supporting a fixed bearing are called fixed piers and those supporting free bearings are called free
piers. Fixed piers are subject to transverse and longitudinal forces whereas free piers transfer only axial forces from the
bearing to the foundations. For multi span bridges, the number of fixed and free piers depend on the length of bridge, size
of pier and magnitude of long & trans forces superstructure can be subjected to. For regular multi span continuous bridges
under 200-300m one fixed pier is provided.
Some other types of bridge piers:-
• Hammerhead piers:-

Fig.2:- Hammerhead piers:

It is also called as solid shaft piers. It has a single solid concrete cross section that supports the cap. In this pier, it is seen
that the major axis of the pier and the direction of steam flow is approximately same. It is recommended to use circular or
small rectangular cross section when the flow is not in the same direction as the major axis. Spread footings are generally
used for this type of piers.

• Multicolumn or Pile bent:-

Fig.3:- Multicolumn or Pile bent:

It has two or more column that supports the cap. There is a problem of debris collection when the water is allowed to flow
between the columns. Combined footing may be used where the column spacing is less & isolated footing where the
spacing is greater. It also known as frame bent.
Images of Special piers:-

Special Shaped Bent

V Pier at Wilson Bridge

V Shaped Steel pier

Hammerhead pier
Forces acting on pier:-
The various forces to be considered in the design of bridge of pier are as follows:
1. Dead load of superstructure and pier.
2. Live load of vehicle moving on the bridge.
3. Effect of eccentric live load.
4. Impact effect for different classes of loads.
5. Effect of buoyancy on the submerged part of the pier.
6. Effect of wind load acting on the moving vehicle and the superstructure.
7. Forces due to water current.
8. Forces due to wave action.
9. Longitudinal forces due to attractive effort of vehicle.
10. Longitudinal forces due to braking of vehicle.
11. Longitudinal forces due to resistance in bearing.
12. Effect of earthquake forces.
13. Forces due to collision for pier in navigable rivers.

The suitability analysis for the pier is generally made by considering some of the critical forces which will have
significant effect on the stresses developed in the pier.

Design of pier:-
The salient feature of pier like the height, pier width and batter are determined as follows:-
➢ Height:-
The top level of pier is fixed 1 to 1.5m above the high flood level, depending upon the depth of water on the
upstream side. Sufficient gap between the high flood level and top of pier is essential to protect the bearing from
flooding.

➢ Pier width:-
The top width of pier should be sufficient to accommodate the two bearings. It is usually kept at a minimum of
600mm more than the outer to outer dimension of the bearing places.

➢ Pier batter:-
Generally the sides are provided with a batter of 1 in 12 to 1 in 24. Short pier have vertical sides. The increased
bottom width is required to restrict the stresses developed under loads within safe permissible value.