Changes in Temperature Distribution in a Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Abutment and Their Effect on Measured Strain

This paper investigates temperature changes in the abutment of a geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system (GRS-IBS). A GRS-IBS structure is a type of bridge construction that uses geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) abutments to support prefabricated bridge structural members. GRS abutments are composed of high quality granular soil and closely spaced geosynthetic layers; the close spacing of the reinforcement increases the confinement and stiffness of the compacted aggregate, resulting in a strong and internally-supported abutment system for the bridge superstructure. Thermal expansion and contraction behavior of the bridge and abutment plays a role in the long-term behavior of GRS-IBS structures over the course of many seasons and years of service. This paper examines seasonal heating and cooling behavior within a typical GRS bridge abutment, using temperature data collected from an array of thermistors installed in a GRS-IBS constructed in the state of Delaware in the U.S. In order to monitor the temperature changes in the abutment of the constructed GRS-IBS, thermistors were installed on the fabric in the GRS abutments and changes in the abutment temperature were continuously measured using these embedded thermistors over 3 years of in-service operation. Measured results showed that the changes in the abutment temperature follow the same trend as the air temperature and are proportional to the elevation and the distance from the facing wall. To illustrate this behavior, temperature distribution contours in the abutment on different days and months over the course of a year are presented. Finally the effect of temperature change on measured strain readings for the GRS abutment is explained and some recommendations are made for minimizing its effect or correcting for its effect in future field studies of this type.

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • © 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
  • Corporate Authors:

    American Society of Civil Engineers

    New York, New York  United States 
  • Authors:
    • Poggiogalle, Tyler M
    • Talebi, Majid
    • Meehan, Christopher L
  • Conference:
    • IFCEE 2018
    • Location: Orlando Florida, United States
    • Date: 2018-3-5 to 2018-3-10
  • Publication Date: 2018-6

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Web
  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: pp 267-277
  • Monograph Title: IFCEE 2018: Developments in Earth Retention, Support Systems, and Tunneling

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01686089
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 9780784481608
  • Files: TRIS, ASCE
  • Created Date: Nov 20 2018 10:24AM