DEMONSTRATION APPLICATIONS IN THE USE OF FLOWABLE BACKFILLS FOR BRIDGE ABUTMENTS. FINAL REPORT

Flowable backfills are cementitious materials placed in a fluid condition that cure to hard, relatively incompressible backfills. They typically consist of cement, fly ash and water with possible additions of coarse aggregate and/or admixtures. Flowable backfills were used to backfill abutments and a retaining wall at the Mahoning Creek and Panther Creek bridge demonstration projects in western and central Pennsylvania. The abutments were instrumented with pressure cells to measure vertical and lateral backfill pressures and with piezometers to monitor groundwater levels. Survey monitoring points were installed on the completed paved surface to monitor long-term settlements. Tilt plates were installed to monitor rotations of the abutments. This report summarizes observations during construction of the flowable backfills and evaluates the instrumentation data to date. It concludes that flowable backfills are suitable for use behind bridge abutments. It also references the other reports produced in conjunction with this research and presents the specifications developed as a part of this research.

• Corporate Authors:

  GAI Consultants, Incorporated

  570 Beatty Road
  Monroeville, PA  United States  15146

  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

  Office of Research and Special Studies, P.O. Box 2926
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17120

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Rojas-Gonzalez, L F
  • Knott, D L
  • Newman, F B
• Publication Date: 1993-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 108 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge abutments; Demonstration projects; Fly ash; Instrumentation
• Old TRIS Terms: Flowable backfills
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00639884
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-PA-91-007+90-12, Report No. 90-118-40
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Dec 1 1993 12:00AM