Shaking table tests on a new type bridge abutment with geogrid-reinforced cement treated backfill

摘要

To develop new aseismic types of bridge abutment, a series of model shaking table tests were conducted using sinusoidal and irregular input motions on five models of three conventional and two new types of bridge abutment. The test results revealed that the seismic stability of the new type abutments with backfill of geogrid-reinforced cement-treated gravel with the reinforcement layers connected to a full-height rigid facing supporting directly a bridge girder is much higher than the conventional type ones. The connection between the reinforcement and the facing structure was found essential to dynamically stabilize the facing structure that was less stable than the backfill.