Influence of Contact Stress Model on the Stability of Bridge Abutment

Abstract

This chapter deals with the behaviour of an abutment pier on subsoil subjected to lood changes. The loods increase the cross-section of the river bed and change the properties of the foundation soil under the foundation. First, the soil saturates with water. Then, ine-grained particles will wash away and inally parts of the basement rock will be washed of. Finite element method has been used for the calculation of the interaction between the foundation and the subsoil. The foundation has been modelled in a 2D environment using spatial components. For the subsoil, an element with efects of an elastic foundation has been used. The stifness of the bedrock has been characterized by the C parameter. The chapter describes situations related to the collapse of the structure.