INSTITUTE UIE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

ME (Structures)
Design and Construction Bridge Structures
(20CEA659)

Topic:
Instructor:
TYPES OF BRIDGES BEARINGS DR. MOHIT BHANDARI
 Introduction to Bridge Bearings
Bearings are structural contraptions provided at the top of piers and
abutments to support the girders of the super structure. They are located
at the Soffit of the Deck over the Supports
The main function of the bearings is to accommodate the movements of
the super structure.
The movements are induced due to the various reasons:
1. Translational movement of the super structure like expansion and
contraction due to the variations in the temperature at the bridge site.

2. Rotational movements due to the vertical deflections of the super

structure arising out of highway loads.
3. Vertical movements due to the sinking of supports.
4. Movements due to shrinkage of the super structure
Introduction to Bridge Bearings
 Types of Bearings
(a) Fixed bearings: Fixed bearings permit rotations while, preventing expansion.

(b) Expansion bearings. Expansion bearings accommodate both horizontal movements and rotations.

The type of bearing to be selected depends upon the type of super structure, type of supports and also the span
length.
A simply supported span is generally provided with a fixed bearing at one end and an expansion bearing at the other
support.
For a two span continuous girder, a fixed bearing is provided at the central support and expansion bearings at the end
supports.
In the case of major bridges the cost of bearings are in the range of 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of the bridge.
Introduction to Bridge Bearings
 Rocker Bearings
Rocker bearing features its pin to permit stable rotations and movements in response to different loads and forces
from its superstructure including living load, constant load and earthquake-generated forces, etc.
To Prevent Rocker Bearing from the translational moments, Pintles or Shoes are used to restricted the movements.
(a) Capable to withstand high tensile, compression and shear forces.
(b) Excellent seismic isolation property makes it perfect to resist seismic intensity up to 9 degrees.
(c) Strong structure coming with high durability.
(d) With high impact load-carrying capabilities.
 Pin Bearings
• A pin bearing is a type of fixed bearings that accommodates
rotations through the use of a steel. Translational
movements are not allowed.
• The pin at the top is composed of upper and lower semi
circularly recessed surfaces with a solid circular pin placed
between.
• Usually, there are caps at both ends of the pin to keep the
pin from sliding off the seats and to resist uplift loads if
required.
• The upper plate is connected to the sole plate by either
bolting or welding. The lower curved plate sits on the
masonry plate. Rotational Movement is allowed. Lateral
and Translational Movements are Restricted.
 Roller Bearings
• Roller bearing can be used in the construction of reinforced
concrete and steel bridge structure.
• There are two main configurations including single roller Single Roller
Bridge Bearing
bearing which is composed of one roller placed between
two plates and multiple roller bearing that consist of
several rollers installed between two plates. The former as
can accommodate both rotation and translation movement
in longitudinal direction and it is cheap to manufacture but
its vertical load capacity is limited.
• In contrary, the latter can make room for translation
movement only and rotation movement can be
accommodated if rollers are combined with pin bearing.
Multiple roller bearings are expensive and support
considerably large vertical loads. Multiple Roller Bridge Bearing
 Rocker Roller Bearings
• In this type of bearing, the translational movement is
facilitated by a group or nest of rollers while rotational
movement is achieved by the rocker pin.
• Roller bearings are intended for the spans of moderate
length.
• A general drawback of this bearings is that it is susceptible
to collect dust. This may lead to freezing of the bearing in
which case the rollers cease to roll.
 Sliding Bearings
• Sliding bearing consist of two metal plates, commonly
stainless-steel plates, that slide relative to each other and
hence makes room for translational movement and
lubricating material between them.
• A friction force is generated in sliding bearing and it is
imposed on substructure, superstructure and sliding
bearing itself. So, it may be required to provide lubricant
such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to decline generated
friction. It is specified by ASSHTO that sliding bearing
cannot be used unless the bridge span is smaller than 15m.
This is because sliding bearing cannot be purely used if the
bridge experiences rotation movement. However, the span
restriction for sliding bearing utilization can be disregarded
when it is used in combination with other bearing types.
 Elastomeric Sliding Bearings
• Allow movements bigger than shear capability in plain
surface.
• PTFE sliding surface with lubricants to reduce the friction
coefficient.
• With dimples on PTFE for contain lubricant to ease the
sliding movements.
• Excellent buffering and shock isolation.
• Withstand vertical load and suit to rotations of beam ends.
• In accordance with European standard EN 1337-2 or other
international standards.
• Available in various shapes such as rectangular or round.
 Curved Bearings
• It consists of two curved plate that match each other.
• If curved bearing is cylindrical, then it only accommodates
rotation movements.
• However, both rotation and translational movements can
be dealt with if curved bearing is spherical.
• Due to the fact that both gravity loads and curved geometry
generate lateral resistance against and consequently lateral
movement would be limited, that is why
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) slider is adhered to the
bearings in order to make rooms for lateral movements.
 Spherical Bearings
• Spherical bridge bearings, composed of precision-machined
steel plates with spherical concave and convex surfaces,
provide flexible movements and rotations between the
superstructure and supporting structures to transfer
whether horizontal or vertical force safely.
• Allows for large displacement.
• Accommodate larger rotations than pot bearing in excess of +/- 0.03 radians.
• Unlimited movement capability in any directions.
• Excellent self-alignment capability.
• Minimum sliding friction coefficient.
• Dimpled PTFE disc is fitted in 1/2 depth of the concave steel plate for higher
load bearing capacity.
• PTEF disc with cavities for containing lubricant to reduce sliding friction.
• Complying with BS EN-1337, KS4424, AASHO, ISO or other custom standards.
• Easy installation.
• Low cost maintenance.
 Elastomeric Bearings
• The present trend is to use elastomeric bearings in preference to metallic bearings which are expensive in initial cost and
have minimum maintenance cost. Besides occupying a smaller space, elastomeric bearings are easy to maintain and also to
replace when damaged.
• It consists of elastomer manufactured from synthetic or natural rubber
and can take both translation and rotation movements through
elastomer deformation. The ability of elastomer to carry large vertical
loads is because of reinforcement provision that prevents lateral bulging
of elastomer. There are number of elastomeric bearing pads classified
based on types of reinforcements used. For example, steel reinforced,
plain, fiberglass reinforced and cotton duck reinforced elastomeric
bearing pads. The steel reinforced elastomeric bearing is the strongest
one and plain elastomeric pad is the weakest. Elastomeric bearing is
neither expensive nor requires considerable maintenance, that is why it
the most desired bearing type.
 Design Considerations: Elastomeric Bearings
The basic deformational characteristics of the elastomeric bearing under
loads are shown in the Figure.
The guide lines specified for the designer of elastomeric pad bearings
as per IRC: 83 (Part-II)-1987. are as follows:
1. Standard plan dimensions compiled in Table, However
interpolation is permitted provided the design criteria is satisfied.
2. The bearing area of the pad should be such that the compressive
stresses developed in concrete are within specified limits.
3. The design vertical load Nd should be within the limits of Nt as per
the Table.
4. The ratio of overall length to breadth should be equal to or less
than 2. Deformations of Elastomeric Bearings.
Design Considerations: Elastomeric Bearings
Standard Plan Dimension of Elastomeric bearings IRC:83 Part-2
 Design Considerations: Elastomeric Bearings
5. The overall thickness of the bearing should be in the range of 1/5 and 1/10 of the overall breadth.
6. The thickness of the internal layer of elastomer hi, the thickness of the laminate, hs, and the elastomer cover at the
top and bottom he should correspond to the following dimensions:

7. The side cover of elastomer for the steel laminates is 6 mm.

8. The thickness of the elastomeric pad bearing should be adequate to limit the shear strain to horizontal load and
movements due to creep, shrinkage and temperature to a value of less than 0.7.
 Design Considerations: Elastomeric Bearings
9. Shape Factor of Bearing: The shape factor S of a rubber confined pad is the ratio between the loaded area and the lateral surface
free to bulge. The Shape factor S should be greater than 6 and less than 12.

For Square Shape

For Circular Shape

where, D is the diameter of bearing and t is the
thickness of single rubber layer.
Design Considerations: Elastomeric Bearings
 Design of Elastomeric Bearing
Design an elastomeric pad bearing to support a Tee beam girder of a bridge using the following
data:
• Maximum dead load reaction per bearing = 300 kN
• Maximum live load reaction per bearing = 700 kN
• Longitudinal force due to friction per bearing = 45 kN
• Effective span of the girder = 16 m
• Estimated rotation at bearing of the girder due to dead and live loads = 0.002 radians
• Concrete for Tee beam and bed block = M-20 Grade
• Total estimated shear strain due to creep, shrinkage and temperature = 6 x 10 -4.
 Design of Elastomeric Bearing
1. Selection of Bearing Pad Dimensions
Maximum vertical load on bearing = 7Nmax = (300 + 700) = 1000 kN
Minimum vertical load = Nmin = 300 kN
Select plan dimensions of bearing pad of size 320 mm by 500 mm
 Design of Elastomeric Bearing
Let as Assume,

Calculation of Shape Factor:

 Design of Elastomeric Bearing
Let as Assume,

Calculation of Shape Factor:

 Design of Elastomeric Bearing
Calculation of Shear Strain

+ 
Design of Elastomeric Bearing

Average Compressive Stress

 Design of Elastomeric Bearing

Hence adopt an elastomeric pad bearing of overall dimensions 320 mm by 500 mm with a total thickness of 39 mm
having two internal elastomeric layers of 10 mm thickness and three steel laminates of thickness 3 mm each having
bottom and top covers of 5 mm.
Design of Elastomeric Bearing