CE 664 Design of Bridge Sub-structures

Bridge Sub-structures?
 Seismic restrainer

Pier cap
Pier
Pier shaft
All the components below
this level form parts of the
sub-structure

Well
Foundation Pile
Open
 Siting a pier here
will be difficult (not
impossible!)

Fig. Illustration of large span of a bridge across a deep valley

Fig. Ganga bridge at Patna. This balanced cantilever bridge is located in a typical
alluvial river. The average and the maximum depth of the river are comparable.
Fig. An example of a meandering river
This depth of soil is
liable to be washed
away (scoured)
Investigation of stream characteristics
• The most important characteristics are:

• Discharge

• Velocity

• Cross-section

• Bed slope

Velocity, cross-section and bed-slope are usually measured at site

whereas discharge cannot be directly measured.
Fig. Methods of fixing position of sounding boat
 Ridge line

Catchment area

Upstream of proposed Bridge site

bridge site

Fig. Identification of catchment area for a bridge site

Once the catchment area of the river is known, then
discharge at the bridge site can be estimated using various
formulae
Fig. Coefficients for use in Dicken’s flood formula (multiply by 0.014 when area is in sq. km
and discharge is in cumecs)
Design discharge = 285 cumecs
H.F.L. = 253.245 m
L.W.L.= 247.085 m

Increase in design discharge

= 30%
Discharge for design of
foundation = 1.30 x 285 =
370.5 cumecs
What should be the length of the bridge? Where should the piers and abutments be located?
First of all, estimate the linear water-way
Fig. Schematic illustration of scour at a bridge pier
Fig. Variation of discharge and scour in the Ganges at Garh Mukteshwar
Calculation of linear
waterway not required
in this case

This is the d50 value

obtained from sieve
analysis
Design discharge = 285 cumecs
H.F.L. = 253.245 m
L.W.L.= 247.085 m

Increase in design discharge

= 30%
Discharge for design of
foundation = 1.30 x 285 =
370.5 cumecs
 How to decide the area of the bearing pedestal?

Plan dimension of the beating pedestal is decided based on the limiting

stresses and the thickness should be such that the cone of load dispersion
should be confined within the bearing pedestal
Load combinations to be considered in design
3.8+0.4+0.1=4.30 m
A page from the ACI Building Code, ACI 318-08
Mechanisms of shear resistance in a R.C. beam without web reinforcement

Concrete contribution, Vc = Vcy + Vay + Vd

Typical detailing of reinforcement in a pier cap
 Strut-and-tie modeling of pier-caps
(Development of strut-and-tie models)
Typical detailing of a corbel test specimen in elevation
Corbel test set-up configuration
Corbel test set-up
Failure crack patterns of the corbels
Strut-and-tie models for double corbels
Strut-and-tie models for single corbels
• Cutting edge section shall not be less than
40 kg/m
Effect of friction at the base and the
sides of the well is neglected.
Soil pressures are calculated using
Rankine’s theory.
(per unit length of the well)
What does a tilt of 1 in 80 look like?
H1
=D
Analysis and Design of Pile Foundations
Analysis of pile groups for lateral loads
 Classification of pile groups for lateral load analysis

River foundations
Free-standing pile group

Lf