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Lateral Movements of Bridge Embankments on Soft Soils: A Case Study Inspired Investigation

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Abstract

The potential for lateral deformation of bridge embankments is often overlooked. This oversight can result in unforeseen damage to the abutment and bridge. A set of twin bridges in Ada, Oklahoma is hypothesized to have experienced lateral displacement at the bridge abutment due to embankment movement. This movement initially caused the bridge deck expansion joints to close. The bridge experienced additional distress once the expansion joints stopped functioning properly. To further study this phenomenon the embankments and bridge abutments were simulated using PLAXIS 2D. An advanced soil constitutive model, a bounding surface plasticity model, was implemented into PLAXIS 2D. The model allowed for increased prediction capability of the finite element software. The model was calibrated using soil samples collected during a site investigation. The results of the simulation are presented and discussed with reference to the observed bridge distress. The potential for lateral displacement of pile supported bridge abutments is explored using a parametric study. The lateral displacement behavior is influenced by many factors including excess pore water pressure, rotation of principal stresses, construction sequencing, embankment geometry, and foundation layer thickness. The deformation parameters, embankment height, and soft clay layer thickness were systematically varied for the modeled embankment. The results of the parametric study suggest that lateral movement of the bridge abutment toward the bridge can occur when the thickness of the soft clay foundation layer is less than the height of the approach embankment. When the thickness of the soft clay foundation layer is greater than the embankment height, abutment movement away from the bridge is more likely.

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Data Availability

Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The research reported herein was supported by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and this support is gratefully acknowledged. The contents of this research reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the ODOT or the FHWA. This paper does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. While trade names may be used or displayed in this paper, it is not intended as an endorsement of any machine, contractor, process, or product.

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This work was supported by ODOT and the FHWA (State Planning and Research item No. 2307).

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  1. School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, 202 W. Boyd St., Room 334, Norman, OK, 73019-1024, USA

    Tommy D. Bounds, Kanthasamy K. Muraleetharan & Gerald A. Miller

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  1. Tommy D. Bounds
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  2. Kanthasamy K. Muraleetharan
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Correspondence to Tommy D. Bounds.

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Bounds, T.D., Muraleetharan, K.K. & Miller, G.A. Lateral Movements of Bridge Embankments on Soft Soils: A Case Study Inspired Investigation. Geotech Geol Eng 42, 121–139 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-023-02559-6

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