Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of Facing on the Performance of GRS Bridge Abutments

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper reports the construction and surcharge load testing of two large-scale GRS bridge abutment models in an outdoor test station to investigate the influences that the facing type used could have on their load-bearing performance. The facing types examined included commonly used concrete masonry units (CMU) and much larger solid concrete blocks. Reinforcement spacing was kept at 200 mm in both models within the FHWA recommendations. Results show that using large facing blocks in the model abutment led to significant improvements in its load–deformation performance relative to that of the model with the CMU facing alternative. It is concluded that even though the structural contribution of facing is not relied upon in the FHWA guidelines, large-block facing construction could help improve the structural performance of GRS abutments in GRS-IBS projects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adams M, Nicks J, Stabile T, Wu J, Schlatter W, Hartmann J (2011) Geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system synthesis report. Report No. FHWA-HRT-11-027, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., USA

  2. Adams M, Nicks J, Stabile T, Wu J, Schlatter W, Hartmann J (2012) Geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system interim implementation guide. Report No. FHWA-HRT-11-026, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., USA

  3. Adams M, Nicks J (2018) Design and construction guidelines for geosynthetic reinforced soil abutments and integrated bridge systems. FHWA Publication No: FHWA-HRT-17-080 HRDI-40/06-18(200)E, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., USA

  4. Ahmadi H, Bezuijen A (2018) Full-scale mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls under strip footing load. Geotext Geomembr 46:297–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kakrasul J, Han J, Rahmaninezhad M (2018) Laboratory evaluation of deformations of geosynthetic-reinforced retaining walls subjected to footing loading. In: Proceedings of the 11th international conference on geosynthetics, 16–21 September 2018, Seoul, Korea

  6. Nicks JE, Adams MT (2019) Lateral earth pressure distribution with depth for GRS mini-abutments. In: Proceedings of geosynthetics conference 2019, Houston, TX, pp 985–993

  7. Xu C, Mei X, Han J (2019) Model tests investigating the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) abutments subjected to static footing load. In: Proceedings of geosynthetics conference 2019, Houston, TX, pp 368–378

  8. Boeckmann A, Lindsey E, Bowders J (2017) Advancing implementation of geosynthetic reinforced soil-integrated bridge systems (GRS-IBS). Missouri Department of Transportation Midwest Transportation Center, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Washington, D.C., USA

  9. Budge AS, Dasenbrock DD, Mattison DJ, Bryan GK, Grosser AT, Adams M, Nicks J (2014) Instrumentation and early performance of large grade GRS-IBS wall. In: Geo-congress 2014 technical papers, GSP 213, ASCE, pp 4213–4227

  10. Lawrence JB (2014) Structural health monitoring of the first geosynthetic reinforced soil—integrated bridge system in Hawaii. Master's Thesis. Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI, USA

  11. Saghebfar M, Abu-Farsakh M, Ardah A, Chen Q, Fernandez BA (2017) Full-scale testing of geosynthetic-reinforced, soil-integrated bridge system. Transp Res Rec J Transp Res Board Pap 2656:40–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Vennapusa P, White DJ, Klaiber FW, Wang S, Gieselman H (2012) Geosynthetic reinforced soil for low-volume bridge abutments. InTrans Project Reports. 5, The Iowa Highway Research Board (IHRB Project TR-621), Ames, IA, USA

  13. Xu P, Li T, Hatami K (2020) Limit analysis of bearing capacity and failure geometry of GRS bridge abutments. Comput Geotech. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2020.103758(in press)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Xie Y, Leshchinsky B (2015) MSE walls as bridge abutments: Optimal reinforcement density. Geotext Geomembr 43(2):128–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Zheng Y, Fox PJ, McCartney JS (2018) Numerical simulation of deformation and failure behavior of geosynthetic reinforced soil bridge abutments. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 144(7):04018037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. AASHTO M 43 (2005) Standard specification for sizes of aggregate for road and bridge construction. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C., USA

  17. ASTM C136/C136M-19 (2019) Standard test method for sieve analysis of fine and coarse aggregates. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA

  18. ASTM D448-12 (2017) Standard classification for sizes of aggregate for road and bridge construction. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA

  19. Nicks J (2013) Friction angles of open-graded aggregates from large-scale direct shear testing. FHWA Publication No: FHWA-HRT-13-068 HRDI-40/07-13(200)E, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., USA

  20. Nicks J, Adams M (2014) Large-scale direct shear testing of common-open aggregates. In: Proceedings of geo-congress 2014, Atlanta, GA, GSP 234, ASCE, pp 47–53

  21. ASTM D4595 (2017) Standard test method for tensile properties of geotextiles by the wide-width strip method. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA

Download references

Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was provided by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) through SP&R Item No. 2262-Phase II. The GSI Fellowship granted to the first author by the Geosynthetic Institute in Folsom, PA, is gratefully acknowledged. Donations of the fill aggregate by Dolese Bros., Inc. in Oklahoma City, OK, and the geotextile reinforcement material by TenCate Geosynthetics, in Cornelia, GA, are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also wish to acknowledge the invaluable assistance from Mike Schmitz, the Fears Structural Laboratory Manager at the University of Oklahoma, and those of graduate students, Jerome Boutin, Kirby Falcon and Matsuura Kazunori, and undergraduate research assistants Stephen Schnabel, Coleman Ross, Uzeir Hodzic, John King, Daniel Farley, Vuth Chea, and Jackie Pham during the construction and testing of the GRS abutment models described in this study.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ridvan Doger

    Present address: A&M Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

    Ridvan Doger & Kianoosh Hatami

Authors
  1. Ridvan Doger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kianoosh Hatami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kianoosh Hatami.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Doger, R., Hatami, K. Influence of Facing on the Performance of GRS Bridge Abutments. Int. J. of Geosynth. and Ground Eng. 6, 42 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-020-00225-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-020-00225-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation