Test Study Of Performance Of Geogrid Reinforced Soil Bridge Abutment With Flexible Faceing

Geogrid reinforced soil (GRS) structures, as an effective method of enhancing the strength of engineering structures, are widely used in foundation, retaining walls, slopes and dams at domestic and abroad engineering fields, and then economic and social interests have been obtain. In recent years, the application of GRS technologies in bridge abutments has won great attentions in practical engineering and research institutions. It is well known that differential settlement between bridge abutment and embankment is the main reason for bumping phenomenon at the ends of bridge. Bumping at the ends of bridges not only affect the safety of transportation, but also affect the comfortable driving condition. Therefore, with the increase of high level road construction, the key problem is to how to control the bumping occurred at important road section. The methods used in dealing with such problems have been proven weak in solving the bumping effects. Currently, a brandly-new application of geogrid-reinforced soil(GRS) wall built as foundation is to support the footings of the brigde abutment, which has the potential of eliminating the use of traditional deep dountations and can control the same soil types and relative density of soils for GRS wall and reinforced embankment of approaching road. However, the performance research of flexible abutment reinforced structure under static load is very few, therefore, the research about this is carried out. The main contents include:(1) On the basis of analysis of properties of geosynthetic and its reinforced structures, the characteristics of GRS bridge abutment structures and loading conditions are shown in this paper by comprehensive comparison, and then the existing problems for current research about this field are put forward and the ways for solving them are also given.(2) The test plan of GRS bridge abutment under static loading is presented in detailed in this desseritation.(3) Based on the structural characteristics of GRS bridge abutment, a series of experimental tests have been carried out to investigate the mechanism of GRS bridge abutment through varying the distance between foundation and panel. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of mechanism of GRS bridge abutment is given by comparison of ultimate bearing capacity of bridge abutment footing, GRS retaining walls’deformation and strains of reinforcement and earth pressure. (4) The optimum of distance between abutment footing and facing of GRS retaining wall is determined on the basis of general tests results, and the mechanism of structures under static loads are summarized here. All the results can be used to guide the actual design of alike structures.