Seismic response control of integral abutment bridge using sleeved piles

Abstract

Integral abutment bridges (IAB) are constructed without any deck joints with abutment and pier. In a single span construction, the deck is cast integrally with abutment. In the case of a multi-span construction, the intermediate support to the deck is provided either by flexible pier with deck integrated monolithically with the pier or by rigid pier with a bearing on it supporting the deck. This practice is a significant deviation from the conventional method of bridge construction which employs deck joints at the location of pier and abutment for the release of stresses caused by the expansion and contraction of the deck due to thermal variation and vehicular action. However, in the case of IAB, the construction of the deck without joint introduces secondary stress due to thermal variation, which are required to be considered in the design. Despite this, the popularity of integral abutment bridge is recorded to be growing. This is because of the fact that the distress caused by the malfunctioning of bearing and joints along with associated damage to the components of the bridges with conventional bridge are experienced to be more than the distress caused by secondary stresses.