THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A BRIDGE APPROACH EMBANKMENT SUBJECT TO LARGE SETTLEMENT

The Northern approaches to the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane rise on embankment up to 12 m high at the bridge abutment, and are situated on weak, compressible alluvial soils to a depth of 26 m. The abutment pile cap is supported within the upper part of the embankment on a large group of piles approximately 36 m long. The embankment has been subject to up to 2 m of settlement, which has had a critical bearing on project programming, and potential influence on the integrity of the pile group. The paper discusses early investigation and design considerations, which led to major design modifications after the embankment was partially completed. Settlement management techniques were employed, involving measurement and interpretation of settlement leading to implementation of vertical wick drainage treatment to accelerate consolidation. The paper addresses the roles that comprehensive settlement monitoring systems, and effective settlement interpretation methods play in the settlement management approach. This approach has resulted in successful control of settlement to satisfy construction program requirements, and has allowed the abutment construction to proceed without significant threat to future pile integrity. The number of the covering abstract for the conference is TRIS No. 393385. (Author/TRRL)

• Record URL:
  • http://arrbknowledge.com
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00050164
• Supplemental Notes:
  • The Proceedings of the 12th Australian Road Research Board Conference, Hobart, Tasmania, 27-31 August 1984.
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • Robertson, N F
  • Semple, W J
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 103-111
• Serial:
  • Australian Road Research
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: ARRB
  • ISSN: 0005-0164

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abutments; Bridge abutments; Bridges; Clay; Conferences; Consolidation; Construction; Deformation; Design; Drainage; Embankments; Ground settlement; Installation; Measurement; Pile groups; Planning; Soil stabilization; Structural settlement; Support piles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Vertical
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• Old TRIS Terms: Constant volume mould
• ITRD Terms: 3424: Abutment; 8006: Australia; 3455: Bridge; 4177: Clay; 8525: Conference; 5791: Consolidation (soil); 3655: Construction; 5595: Deformation; 9011: Design (overall design); 2937: Drainage; 2801: Embankment; 3840: Installation; 6136: Measurement; 3399: Pile; 3388: Pile group; 143: Planning; 5792: Settlement; 9087: Vertical
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00393421
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 31 1985 12:00AM