Abutment
These are first and last supports of a bridge and they retain earth
on their backside, which serves as an approach to the bridge.
Back (Dirt) Wall
Wing Wall
Abutment Cap
Breast Walls (Stem)
Footing
1
Types of Abutment
Gravity Type
Balancing Type
Buried Type
2
Abutment with wing wall
Some considerations in preliminary planning of abutment
The following measures often help in achieving economy in the design of abutments
• Provision of sliding bearings or roller cum rocker bearings or
elastomeric bearing without pin on abutment reduces
horizontal force on the abutment.
• For single span bridge provide roller/elastomeric bearing
without pin on abutment of greater height.
• Eccentric abutment towards the backfill increases stabilizing
moment.
• For 5 to 6 m height and spans up to 20m usually solid plain
mass concrete or masonry abutments are economical.
• For heights above 6m and spans beyond 20m RC abutments
are suitable.
Preliminary Sizing of Abutment
150mm× 2 + bearing width
+ expansion joint 250mm to 450mm thick with 250mm to 450mm thick with
150mm× 2 + bearing width +
h 50 to 200mm projection 50 to 200mm projection
expansion joint + projection
1 to 1.5m
0.3h
1 to 1.5m
HFL
H H H/12 to H/10
1/6 to 1/3 slope
> Max. Scouring
depth
> Max. scouring depth
H/8 to H/10
0.35H to 0.45H ≥ H/10 to H/8
2/5 H to 3/4 H
Gravity (wall) type abutment Reinforced concrete abutment
b
N = 305 +2.5L + 10H mm
L – span in m
H- Ht of support in m
0.4 to 0.6m clear distance from
bearing to the edge of abutment
Plan of abutment
Materials for Abutments
[Minimum grade of material]
• Mass Concrete - M10 grade
(With mix proportions of 1:3:6 with 40-mm maximum size aggregates.)
• Reinforced Concrete - M20/20 grade for stem
M25/20 grade for cap
• Coarse Rubble Masonry
(With Cement mortar of proportions 1:4)
• Brick Masonry
(With Cement mortar of proportions 1:4)
• Prestressed Concrete - M35
• Steel bar – Fe 415
1. Vertical loads
• Self wt. of abutment
• Dead & Superimposed Dead Load from Superstructure
• Live Load
• Earthquake load (vertical component)
• Wind load (vertical component)
• Uplift by braking effort
• Load due to soil mass
2. Horizontal loads
• Force due to Braking Effort
• Force due to Frictional Resistance of Bearing
• Wind Load
• Force due to Earthquake
• Force due to Earth Pressure
• Force induced by creep, shrinkage and temperature variation
• Force due to surcharge
For working stress design method, there are nine
combinations of loads to be considered in design
Load Combination
(Refer IRC 6)
In Limit State Design Method, there are three combinations
of loads to be considered in design. These three
combinations are
• Basic combination
• Seismic combination
• Accidental combination
These combinations are given for stability check, limit
state of strength, limit state of serviceability and
foundation design.
Partial safety factors for loads for different combinations
and for different works are not similar. They are chosen
on the basis of nature of work carrying out.
Refer IRC 6 – 2014, Table 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 for
combination of loads
Design of RC
Abutment
A
Loads on abutment from deck
• Find Self wt of railing, kerb/footpath, wearing course, slab , cross
Dead load from deck beam and main beam per unit length of abutment
(vertical) Weight / length of abutment
Live load from deck • Find maximum live load per unit length of abutment
(vertical) Live Load on Abutment / Length of Abutment
Load due to • Find temperature variation range T
• Find movement of deck at free end of deck
temperature T× Coefficient of Thermal Expansion × Span of Deck
variation from • Find shear stiffness of bearing from manufacturer’s list
deck (horizontal) Horizontal load requires for unit deformation
• Find horizontal load on each bearing H
H = Shear Stiffness × Movement of Deck
Or H = A×G×Movement of deck/Thickness of bearing
• Find total horizontal load per unit length of abutment
(Horizontal Load on a Bearing × No. of Bearings) / Length of Abutment
Load due to • Find force due to earthquake Feq from superstructure and substructure per unit
earthquake in length of abutment in longitudinal direction of bridge and find force due to
longitudinal and earthquake Feq from superstructure and substructure in transverse direction of
transverse direction of bridge
bridge (horizontal
Feq = Z/2× I/R× Sa/g
Load due to wind in • Find force due to wind Fw from superstructure and substructure per unit length
longitudinal and of abutment in longitudinal and transverse direction of bridge
transverse direction of
FT w = pACD G
bridge (horizontal)
FL w = fraction of FT w
Loads at rear of abutment
• Find force due to earth pressure Fb per unit length of abutment H
Fb = ½× ka×γ×H× H
• Find force due to Surcharge Fs per unit length of abutment
1.2 m earth fill on the road level is taken as surcharge load
Fs = ka×w×H
Stability Check
Refer IRC 78
1. Find overturning and restoring moment about toe of abutment for different
load combination
Check overturning effect
M restoring /M overturning ≥ 2 for basic combination
≥ 1.5 for seismic combination
2. Find shear and resisting shear at the base of footing
Shear = sum of horizontal forces at base
Resisting shear = sum of vertical load at base × tanø
Check sliding effect
V resisting / V sliding ≥ 1.5 for basic combination
≥ 1.25 for seismic combination
3. Check bearing pressure at base of footing
Pressure = P/A ± Pe/Z ≤ bearing capacity of soil &
Upward pressure of soil should be positive
Design of Abutment Cap, Main Stem, Back Wall and Slab Base
• Design abutment cap
When bearing stress in cap does not exceed the permissible value of bearing stress in concrete, provide
reinforcement according to IRC78 & check the thickness of cap for punching shear.
• Design main stem of abutment as a RC slab and check the stem as a RC column
When design axial load on abutment ≤ 0.1fck A, abutment is designed as RC cantilever slab
When design axial load on abutment > 0.1fck A, abutment is designed as RC column
• Design back wall as a RC cantilever slab
Back wall is designed for earth pressure and surcharge and check for its self wt. and wt of approach
slab
• Design slab base as a spread footing.
Footing is designed for maximum BM and maximum one way shear at the critical sections of footing.
• Carry out detailing of reinforcement [Refer Cl. 16.3, IRC 112}
Vertical Reinforcement
Dia. of bar≥ 12mm, ≤ 40 mm
Total area steel of vertical bar 0.0024 to 0.04 of area of concrete
area of bar in one face ≥ 0.0012 of area of concrete
Spacing of vertical bars ≤ 200 mm
Horizontal Reinforcement
Area of horizontal reinforcement ≥ 2.5% of total area of vertical bars
≥ 0.001 of concrete area
Spacing of horizontal bars ≤ 300 mm
Dia of bar ≥ 8mm or one fourth of vertical bars
Transverse Reinforcement
If the area of load carrying vertical bar in two faces > 0.02 × area of
concrete theses bars should be enclosed by stirrups
Reinforcement of Abutment
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A A
Cross Section Longitudinal Section
Section at A-A
Pier
Intermediate supports of bridge are referred as piers
Types of Pier
Solid Type Trestle Type Hammer Head Type
Framed Type
Cellular Type
Pier
Pier
Preliminary Sizing of Pier
Take a = 1m for span up to 10m
2m for span up to 60m
3m for span up to 100m
a = 2 × bearing width + expansion joint + 2 × 150 mm
300 mm to 450 mm thick with a = 2 × bearing width + expansion joint + 2 × 150 mm
50 to 200 mm projection
1 to 1.5 m
HFL
≥1m 1 to 1.5 m
H H
HFL
300 mm
1/50 to 1/12 slope
> Max. scouring
> Max. scouring depth
depth
Trestle Pier
Solid Pier
R = b/2
b N N
N = 305 + 2.5L + 10H mm
0.4 to 0.6 m clear distance from
L – span in m
bearing to the edge of pier
H - Ht of support in m
Plan of Pier
1. Vertical loads
• Self wt. of Pier
• Dead & Superimposed Dead Load from Superstructure
• Live Load
• Earthquake load (vertical component)
• Wind load (vertical component)
• Uplift by braking effort
• Buoyancy
2. Horizontal loads
• Force due to Braking Effort
• Force due to Frictional Resistance of Bearing
• Wind Load
• Force due to Earthquake
• Force due to Hydrodynamic Pressure
• Force induced by creep, shrinkage and temperature variation
• Force due to Water Current
Design of RC Pier
Loads on Pier
Dead load from deck • Find Self wt of railing, kerb/footpath, wearing course, slab ,
(vertical) cross beam and main beam per unit length of pier
Weight / Length of Pier
Live load from deck • Find maximum live load per unit length of pier
(vertical) Live Load on Abutment / Length of Pier
Load due to temperature • Find temperature variation range T
variation from deck • Find movement of deck at free end of deck
(horizontal) T× Coefficient of Thermal Expansion × Span of Deck
Load is necessary to calculate when • Find shear stiffness of bearing from manufacturer’s list
adjacent spans of superstructure varies
in their span Horizontal load requires for unit deformation
• Find horizontal load on each bearing H
H = Shear Stiffness × Movement of Deck
Or H = A×G×Movement of deck/Thickness of bearing
• Find total horizontal load per unit length of pier
(Horizontal Load on a Bearing × No. of Bearings) / Length of Pier
Load due to • Find force due to earthquake Feq from superstructure and
earthquake in substructure in longitudinal direction of bridge and find force due to
longitudinal and earthquake Feq from superstructure and substructure in transverse
transverse direction of direction of bridge
earthquake
(horizontal) Feq = Z/2× I/R × Sa/g × W
• Find pressure P due to water current of river in transverse direction
Load due to water in of bridge
transverse direction of
bridge (horizontal) P = 52K v2
• Find the force exerted by water pressure along and across the river.
Fwc = At × 52K (v cos 200)2 along the river
Fwc = Al × 52K (v sin 200)2 along the river
Load due to buoyancy • Find submerged volume of pier in water
effect (vertical)
• Find the force exerted by buoyancy effect
Fbu = volume of pier × unit wt of water
Load due to • Find force exerted by hydrodynamic pressure
hydrodynamic
pressure (horizontal) Fhyd = C × horizontal seismic coefficient × weight of water bound by
enveloping cylinder
• Find force due to wind Fw from superstructure and substructure per
Load due to wind in
unit length of pier in longitudinal and transverse direction of bridge
longitudinal and
transverse direction of
FT w = pACD G
bridge (horizontal)
FL w = fraction of FT w
Design of Pier Cap and Main Stem
• Design pier cap
When bearing stress in cap does not exceed the permissible value of bearing stress in concrete, provide
reinforcement according to IRC78 & check the thickness of cap for punching shear.
[Refer abutment design]
• Design main stem of pier as a RC column
When design axial load on abutment ≤ 0.1fck A, pier is designed as RC cantilever slab
When design axial load on abutment > 0.1fck A, pier is designed as RC column
[Refer abutment design]
• Carry out detailing of reinforcement [Refer Cl. 16.3, IRC 112]
Vertical Reinforcement
Dia. of bar≥ 12mm, ≤ 40 mm
Total area steel of vertical bar 0.0024 to 0.04 of area of concrete
area of bar in one face ≥ 0.0012
Spacing of vertical bars ≤ 200 mm
Horizontal Reinforcement
Area of horizontal reinforcement ≥ 2.5% of total area of vertical bars
≥ 0.001 of concrete area
Spacing of horizontal bars ≤ 300 mm
Dia of bar ≥ 8mm or one fourth dia of vertical bars
Transverse Reinforcement
If the area of load carrying vertical bar in two faces > 0.02 × area of concrete theses bars
should be enclosed by stirrups
Reinforcement of Pier
Cross section at AA
A A
