Bridges with Integral Abutments: Introduction

摘要

Integral Abutment Bridges are bridges with no expansion joints and no bearings. Their largest benefits are the lower construction and maintenance costs. Bridges of this type are widely spread in the United States but are also becoming more popular in Europe, but the technical solutions are very different in different countries. In some countries slender piles are used, minimizing the strains in the piles from thermal displacements of the bridge, while the approach in other countries is based upon heavy piles. Some countries also design for seismic loads which is not the case in other countries.