Behavior of Earth Pressure and Movements on Integral Abutments

The expansion and contraction on integral abutment bridges, which induced by seasonal thermal variations, are affected by backfill material, piles, surrounding soils of piles. Among these factors, the most important factor is the of backfill condition. In order to investigate this aspect, the interactions between abutment movements and earth pressure of integral abutment were analyzed by conducting long term monitoring. Based on the results of this study, several relationships for the integral abutments, which were the relationships between abutment movements and thermal variations, abutment movements and earth pressure, thermal variations and earth pressure, and abutment movements and earth pressure coefficient, were proposed.