PIERS AND

ABUTMENTS
MAITHILI
USAPKAR
Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York
WHAT IS A PIER?
• Piers are an integral part of the load
path between the superstructure and
the foundation of a bridge . They are
intermediate supports of the super
structure.
• Piers are designed to resist the
vertical loads from the
superstructure, as well as the
WHAT IS A PIER?

• Piers facilitate a long bridge to be converted into

segments or bays.
• The magnitude of the superstructure loads
applied to each pier shall consider the
configuration of the fixed and expansion
bearings, the bearing types and the relative
stiffness of all of the piers.
TYPES OF
PIERS
TYPES OF PIERS
• There are several ways of defining pier
types. One is by its structural connectivity to
the superstructure: monolithic or
cantilevered. Another is by its sectional
shape: solid or hollow; round, octagonal,
hexagonal, or rectangular.
• It can also be distinguished by its framing
configuration: single or multiple column bent;
hammerhead or pier wall.
FACTORS IN SELECTING PIER
TYPES
• superstructure type, i.e type of bridge deck
• the characteristics of the feature crossed
• span lengths
• bridge width
• bearing type and width
• skew
• required vertical and horizontal clearance
• Method of construction adopted
• Required pier height
• aesthetics and economy
BROAD CLASSIFICATION OF
PIERS
Broadly classified under following two categories
• Solid Piers
• Open Piers
SOLID PIERS
These piers have solid and impermeable structure.
Mainly constructed of either masonry or RCC.
• Solid Masonry Piers
The piers which are constructed with brick masonry, stone masonry, concrete etc.
are known as solid masonry piers. Sometimes it is seen that in solid masonry piles
the outer portion is constructed with the stone masonry and the inner part is filled
with the help of mass concrete. In this way, it can save the cost of construction.
• Solid RCC Piers
The solid piers which are constructed with the reinforcement are called RCC piers.
These piers are generally rectangular in cross-section and are generally used where
the height of the piers are more and the solid masonry piers will not be strong
enough to bear the load and can be uneconomical.
 SOLID
• Solid wall piers, as shown in WALL PIER
the figure, are often used at
water crossings since they
can be constructed to
proportions that are both
slender and streamlined.
These features lend
themselves well for
providing minimal
resistance to flood flows.
GENERAL
DESIGN
CONSIDERAT
IONS
GENERAL
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
OPEN PIERS

• These are modern design elements and consists piers which are compact
and open i.e which allows the water to pass through the structure.
• These bridge structures are considered to be more environment friendly,
strong against water flow and robust to sustain all superstructure and
substructure loads.
• Open piers can be classified into the following types:
1. Cylindrical piers
2. Column bents
3. Trestle piers or Trestle bent
4. Pile bents
5. Special or typical framed piers
• The piers which are CYLINDRICAL
constructed with the mild PIER
steels or cast iron cylinder
in which the concrete are
filled are known as
cylindrical piers.
• These are used for bridges
having moderate height.
• Sometimes horizontal and
diagonal steel bracing are
also provided for additional
• A column bent pier consists of COLUMN
a cap beam and supporting
BENT PIER
columns forming a frame.
Rigid frame pier
• Column bent piers, can either
be used to support a steel
girder superstructure or be
used as an integral pier
where the cast-in-place
construction technique is
used.
• The columns can be either
circular or rectangular in
cross section.
• Multi column piers has two or more
column that support the cap. M U LT I C O L U M N
OR PILE BENT
• There is a problem of debris collection PIER
when the water is allowed to flow between Rigid frame pier
the columns.
• Combined footing may be used where the
column spacing is less & isolated footing
where the spacing is greater.
• It also known as one type of frame bent.
• Pile pier is the common variation of
multicolumn bent. A number of steel or
RCC piles are driven into the ground
provided with the cap at their top to
support the main girder.
• It is generally used for the type of bent on
low height and short span structure.
• These are used where the ground is
• It consist of column with bent cap at
TRESTLE
the top. These columns are tripod-
shaped platforms that support the PIER
bridge's decking.
• As per the latest recommendation
the hinges may also be provided.
• It is generally used for flyovers and
elevated roads. These are suitable
for bridges where water current is
slow and river bed is sufficiently firm.
• These bridges can span large gaps
and bear a lot of weight.
 HAMMERHEA
• Hammerhead piers are D PIER
often found in urban
areas where space
limitation is a concern.
They are used to support
steel girder or precast
prestressed concrete
superstructures.
• They are aesthetically
appealing.
 PILE
EXTENSIO
•A pile extension pier N PIER
consists of a drilled shaft as
the foundation and the
circular column extended
from the shaft to form the
substructure. An obvious
advantage of this type of
pier is that it occupies a
minimal amount of space.
Widening an existing bridge
in some instances may
require pile extensions
SELECTION CRITERIA
• Selection of the type of piers for a bridge should be
based on functional, structural, and geometric
requirements. Aesthetics is also a very important factor
of selection since modern highway bridges are part of a
city’s landscape.
• A pier should be designed to withstand the overturning,
sliding forces applied from superstructure as well as
the forces applied to substructures. It also needs to be
designed so that during an extreme event it will
prevent the collapse of the structure but may sustain
some damage.
fi g - 1 s h o w s a c o l l e c t i o n o f t y p i c a l c r o s s s e c t i o n s h a p e s f o r o v e r c r o s s i n g s a n d v i a d u c t s o n l a n d
a n d fi g - 2 s h o w s s o m e t y p i c a l c r o s s s e c t i o n s h a p e s f o r p i e r s o f r i v e r a n d w a t e r w a y c r o s s i n g s .
Often, pier types are mandated by government agencies or owners.
Many state departments of transportation in the United States have
t h e i r o w n s t a n d a rd c o l u m n s h a p e s . S o l i d w a l l p i e r s , a s s h o w n i n F i g - 3 a
a n d F i g - 4 , a re o ft e n u s e d a t w a t e r c ro s s i n g s s i n c e t h e y c a n b e
c o n s t r u c t e d t o p ro p o r t i o n s t h a t a re b o t h s l e n d e r a n d s t re a m l i n e d .
T h e s e f e a t u re s l e n d t h e m s e l v e s w e l l f o r p ro v i d i n g m i n i m a l re s i s t a n c e
t o fl o o d fl o w s .

Hammerhead piers, as shown in Fig-3b, are often found in urban areas where space limitation is
a concern. They are used to support steel girder or precast prestressed concrete superstructures.
They are aesthetically appealing. They generally occupy less space, thereby providing more room
for the traffic underneath. Standards for the use of hammerhead piers are often maintained by
individual transportation departments.
DESIGN LOADS
• Like the design of any structural component, the design of a
pier or column is performed to fulfill strength and serviceability
requirements.
• Piers are commonly subjected to forces and loads transmitted
from the superstructure, and forces acting directly on the
substructure.
• A pier as a structure component is subjected to combined
forces of axial, bending, and shear. For a pier, the bending
strength is dependent upon the axial force. In the plastic hinge
zone of a pier, the shear strength is also influenced by bending.
• Some of the loads and forces to be resisted by the substructure
include:
DESIGN LOADS
• Dead Loads: The weight of the superstructure submerged parts of the pier.
and the pier itself. • Temperature and Shrinkage Effects: Loads
• Live Loads: Loads from traffic, including due to temperature changes and material
vehicles and their impact. shrinkage.
• Wind Loads: Forces exerted by wind on the • Scour and Collision: Forces due to erosion or
superstructure and pier. impact from water or vehicles.
• Seismic Loads: Forces generated by • Impact Loads: Forces from vehicles colliding
earthquakes. with the pier.
• Longitudinal Forces: Forces due to braking • Ice Pressure: Pressure exerted by ice on piers
and traction of vehicles. in cold climates.
• Centrifugal Forces: Forces due to vehicles • Earth Pressure: Lateral pressure exerted by
moving on curves. the soil around the pier.
• Horizontal Water Currents: Forces exerted • Settlement of Foundations: Forces due to
by water currents on piers in waterways. differential settlement of the pier foundation.
• Buoyancy: Upward force exerted by water on
*The effect of temperature changes and shrinkage of the superstructure
needs to be considered when the superstructure is rigidly connected with
the supports. Where expansion bearings are used, forces caused by
temperature changes are limited to the frictional resistance of bearings.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR
SELECTING PIER TYPES
• Steel Superstructure
• Precast Prestressed Concrete
Superstructure
• Cast-in-Place Concrete
Superstructure
STEEL SUPERSTRUCTURE Over
water
• Pier walls or Tall piers
hammerheads (T-piers);
hollow cross sections for
most cases; cantilevered;
could use combined
hammerheads with pier
wall base and step
tapered shaft
STEEL
SUPERSTRUCTURE On land

• Pier walls or
hammerheads (T-piers); Short Pier
solid cross sections;
cantilevered
 STEEL
SUPERSTRUCTURE On land

• Hammerheads (T-piers) Tall piers

and possibly rigid frames
(multiple column bents;
hollow cross sections for
single shaft and solid
cross sections for rigid
frames; cantilevered
 STEEL
SUPERSTRUCTURE On land

• Hammerheads and rigid Short piers

frames; solid cross
sections; cantilevered
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE Over
SUPERSTRUCTURE
Water
• Pier walls or hammerheads Tall piers
; hollow cross sections for
most cases; cantilevered;
could use combined
hammerheads with pier
wall base and step-
tapered shaft
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE Over
SUPERSTRUCTURE
Water
• Pier walls or Short piers
hammerheads; solid
cross sections;
cantilevered
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE On land
SUPERSTRUCTURE
• Hammerheads (T-piers) Tall piers
and possibly rigid frames
(multiple column bents;
hollow cross sections for
single shaft and solid
cross sections for rigid
frames; cantilevered
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE On land
SUPERSTRUCTURE
• Hammerheads and rigid Short piers
frames (multiple column
bents) solid cross
sections; cantilevered
 CAST-IN-PLACE
CONCRETE Over
SUPERSTRUCTURE
Water
• Single shaft pier; Tall piers
superstructure will likely
cast by traveled forms
with balanced cantilevered
construction method;
hollow cross sections;
monolithic; fixed at
bottom
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE Over
SUPERSTRUCTURE
Water
• Pier walls; solid cross Short piers
sections; monolithic;
fixed at bottom
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE On land
SUPERSTRUCTURE
• Single or multiple Tall piers
column bents; solid
cross sections for most
cases, monolithic; fixed
at bottom
PRECAST PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE On land
SUPERSTRUCTURE
• Single or multiple Short piers
column bents solid cross
sections; monolithic;
pinned at bottom
OVERVIEW

• In current design practice, the bridge

designers are becoming increasingly aware of
the adverse effects of earthquake. Therefore,
ductility consideration has become a very
important factor for bridge design. Failure due
to scouring is also a common cause of failure
of bridges. In order to prevent this type of
failure, the bridge designers need to work
closely with the hydraulic engineers to
determine adequate depths for the piers and
ABUTMENTS
WHAT IS AN ABUTMENT?
• Abutments are the substructure at
the ends of a bridge span that
supports the bridge's superstructure,
acting as a vertical and lateral
support, and also retaining the
embankment.
• The choice of abutments depends on
the available space, geological
FUNCTIONS OF ABUTMENT
PARTS OF BRIDGE
ABUTMENT
• 1.
This part of the abutment is only for the embankment. This aids in the
maintenance of the bridge’s side slope embankment. It also protects the
barrier from erosion by using short retaining walls.
• 3. Back Wall:
In a bridge abutment, back walls are utilized to support the embankment.
According to the embankment’s slope, the side walls are built vertically at
the bridge’s edge. The back walls support the bridge deck’s extension
joints.
• 4. Abutment Pile:
The abutment’s pile is the filament that is connected to the abutment’s
foundation utilizing the bridge’s seat. The length of the pile is determined
by the bridge’s height and the obstruction’s depth (canal, river, and
stream).
• 5.
PARTS OF BRIDGE
ABUTMENT

Footing of Abutment: This element of an abutment has normally

buried the ground and connects the vertical, load-bearing portion of the
abutment to the ground. For distributes the weight; it consists of a
horizontal surface that is sometimes wider than the bridge.
Bridge Seat: A horizontal shelf near or on an abutment supports the
bridge deck. These would be used to secure the end of a bridge on the
embankment, while those placed along a span would provide support to
alleviate long-term stress.
TYPES OF
ABUTMENT
S
GRAVITY ABUTMENT
• It is most common type of Abutment.
• A typical gravity abutment includes the bridge
seat, back wall, and splayed wing walls to hold
the bridges deck while acting as a retaining wall
for the embankment.
• It resists horizontal earth pressure from the rear,
with its own dead weight. To be stable it leads to
massive sized abutments.
• These can be of mass concrete or stone
masonry.
• Suitable in situations where the soil conditions
are relatively stable and the height of the
embankment is not excessive.
U-ABUTMENT
• A variant of the gravity abutment, where
wing walls are added to the abutment,
forming a "U" shape, to retain and
enclose the soil.
• The wing walls are placed perpendicular
to the backwall to get the shape.
• The wing walls are typically cast
monolithically with the abutment back
wall and cantilevered both vertically and
horizontally.
CANTILEVER WALL
ABUTMENTS
• A Cantilever Abutment serves multiple
functions: one is to retain soil behind the
bridge’s ends, and the other supports
the bridge superstructure.
• Constructed as a retaining wall used to
hold back an earth embankment or
water and to keep an abrupt elevation
shift from occurring. Also, performing the
tasks of locating loads from the bridge
ends to the ground, resisting any loads
put directly on it, and providing
automobile and pedestrian access to the
bridge.
 STUB ABUTMENT
• It is also known as a perched abutment, is a
relatively short abutment built after completing the
embankment.
• The embankment can be compacted without the
abutment interfering, and the abutment building can
be delayed if necessary.
• These abutments are as short as possible and
placed at the top of fill embankments. Stub
abutments usually only hold slightly thick soils than
the thickness of the superstructure.
• Sufficient rocky terrain must prevail at the site, so that the stub
abutment can be supported on piles to extend through the
embankment.
• Stub abutments can be highly cost-effective, but they tend to
lengthen the end spans.
• Other wall abutments are which often built to the full height of the
SEMI-STUB ABUTMENT

• The semi-stub abutment is halfway between full-

height and stub-abutment heights.
• Unlike stub abutments constructed on the top of the
embankment, the full-height abutment is constructed
at the bottom.
• Between the top and bottom of the embankments,
these abutments are constructed.
• They are known as Semi-Stub abutments because
they are larger than stub abutments and shorter than
full-height abutments.
FULL HEIGHT
ABUTMENTS
• This type of abutment is common in
congested and metropolitan regions
where structural depth is required.
It’s essentially a high-height
abutment for low-level roadways built
to sustain the entire construction.

COUNTER-FORT ABUTMENTS
• The counter-fort abutment serves
as a retaining wall for the counter-
fort. At regular intervals, these thin
walls called the main counter-fort
connecting the wall to the footing
are constructed to reduce the shear
MECHANICALLY
STABILIZED ABUTMENT
• In mechanically stabilized wall
abutment, the bridge seat and
footing are supported directly on
the reinforced backfill.
• The mechanically stabilized wall
design concepts are applicable.
The need for reinforcing is
heightened by abutment loads,
particularly in the upper section
SPILL-THROUGH
ABUTMENT
• Spill-through abutments are a form of abutment that is
short and stubby. Pedestals or columns that reach the
natural ground support this form of the abutment. Soil is
allowed to spill through the gaps, along the length of
abutment.
• Here columns are placed below deck beam and gap in
between is free to spill earth.
• A spill through /open abutment is mostly used where an
additional span may be added to the bridge in the future.It
is essentially a pier being used as an abutment.
• It is very difficult to properly compact the embankment
materials that must be placed around the columns and
under the abutment cap.
• The fill is put on both sides of the pedestals simultaneously
to reduce unbalanced earth pressure and abutment lateral
displacement.
• It’s also prone to erosion unless the final slope is covered
DESIGN LOADS
• Dead Loads: The weight of the type and structure height.
superstructure and the abutment • Surcharge Loads: Additional loads
itself. on the backfill, such as those from
• Live Loads: Loads from traffic, traffic or other activities.
including vehicles and their impact.• Temperature and Shrinkage
• Wind Loads: Forces exerted by wind Effects: Loads due to temperature
on the superstructure and abutment. changes and material shrinkage.
• Seismic Loads: Forces generated by • Scour and Collision: Forces due to
earthquakes. erosion or impact from water or
• Earth Pressure: Lateral pressure vehicles.
exerted by the soil behind the • Buoyancy: Upward force exerted by
abutment. water on submerged parts of the
• Horizontal Earth Pressure: Earth abutment.
pressure acting horizontally on the
abutment, calculated based on backfill
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OF BRIDGE
ABUTMENT
• Preliminary dimensions depend on the type of the superstructure and foundation , and checking
the stresses at the sill level;
• The front face of the breast wall have a batter of not less than 1 in 25 , preferably at 1 in 12.
• Differential settling of the approach slab and the bridge deck is restricted, as it could provide a
trip hazard and detract from the road’s aesthetics.
• Prevent shear failures in the approach slab owing to poor soils; fill from the bridge abutment
excavation or other circumstances.
• Enlarge the subsurface layout to the road subsurface as needed to avoid the freshly dug area for
the bridge abutment’s construction.
• The length of the approach slab must be appropriate for the bridge deck width and abutment
height, as determined by a certified competent structural engineer.
• Set the approach slab into a suitable-sized notch in the bridge abutment to join the approach
slab to the bridge abutment. As needed, secure with anchors.
• Suitably compacted soil, aggregate, and flow able fill shall be present beneath the approach
slab.
• It is possible to employ a long-term seamless transition from the approach slab to the bridge
deck while avoiding shear failure in the approach slab. A skilled designer must design an
THANK YOU
DESIGN OF
COMPRESS
ION
MEMBERS
 COLUMNS AND OTHER
COMPRESSION MEMBERS
• The principal factors governing the
proportioning of members carrying
compressive forces are overall column
buckling, local buckling, and gross section
area. The effect of overall column buckling
depends on the slenderness ratio Kl/ r,
where Kl is the effective length, in, of the
column, l is the unbraced length, and r is the
least radius of gyration, in, of the cross
 COLUMNS AND OTHER
COMPRESSION MEMBERS
• The effect of local buckling depends
on the width-thickness ratios of the
individual elements of the member cross
section. W shapes with depths of 8, 10,
12, and 14 in are most commonly used
for building columns and other
compression members
 COLUMNS AND OTHER
COMPRESSION MEMBERS
• For unbraced compression members, the
most efficient shape is one where the value
of ry with respect to the minor axis
approaches the value of rx with respect to
the major axis. When built-up sections are
used as compression members, the element
joining the principal load-carrying elements,
such as lacing bars, should have a shear
capacity of at least 2% of the axial load.
REFERENCE
• WANG, J. "PIERS AND COLUMNS."
BRIDGE ENGINEERING HANDBOOK.
E D . W A I - FA H C H E N A N D L I A N D U A N
B O C A R AT O N : C R C P R E SS , 2 0 0 0

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