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Research Reports |
| Title: | Loading and Wetting-induced Settlement of Bridge Approach Embankment Materials in Utah |
| Authors: | Evert Lawton, Sai Sravan Maringanti, and Adam Jones |
| University: | University of Utah |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2024 |
| Report #: | MPC-24-534 |
| Project #: | MPC-607 |
| TRID #: | 01943320 |
| Keywords: | bridge approaches, compression tests, embankments, materials tests, settlement (structures), soil consolidation test, specifications, wetting |
| Type: | Research Report – MPC Publications |
Often engineers and maintenance personnel are faced with a serious problem in the maintenance of bridges due to excessive settlement of approach embankments near bridge abutments, causing bumps at the ends of the bridges. These settlements result from loading-induced and sometimes wetting-induced strains within the native material at the site caused by the weight of the embankment and loading and wetting-induced strains within the embankment material itself. The primary objectives of this research were to (a) determine the loading-wetting stress-strain properties of 10 selected embankment materials under varying conditions of density, load, and moisture; (b) identify potential problems for each type of embankment material in terms of contributing to settlement that may exacerbate the “bump at the end of the bridge” problem; and (c) recommend changes to Utah Department of Transportation specifications for embankment materials used in bridge approaches. These objectives were achieved by conducting one-dimensional compression-wetting tests on compacted specimens of the materials using standard and larger consolidometers. Based on results and analyses from these tests, recommendations were made to change the current specifications regarding grain-size distribution, plasticity of the materials; shape of the particles; moisture condition during processing, transport, and compaction; allowable compaction during freezing or snowy conditions, and the method used for quality control.
Lawton, Evert, Sai Sravan Maringanti, and Adam Jones. Loading and Wetting-induced Settlement of Bridge Approach Embankment Materials in Utah, MPC-24-534. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2024.
Final Report