Integral Bridge Abutments experience damaging stresses due to the cyclic expansion and contraction of the bridge deck, caused by daily and seasonal temperature variations, pushing the abutments into and out of the bridge embankment.

This behavior is currently the subject of much research in this country and England, since most new bridges are of the integral abutment design and no satisfactory solutions to this problem have been found.

Until Now...

GeoTech's TerraFlex™ and the Geoinclusion®are both designed specifically for this type of application. When installed behind an integral bridge abutment, they provide a compressible layer which can accommodate the abutment motion eliminating this problem. The Geoinclusion® will also eliminate hydrostatic pressure.

For information on the use of TerraFlex™ or Geoinclusion® for this purpose, refer to our on-line documentation or call us. Virginia Tech has tested TerraFlex™ in their instrumented retaining wall and verified its engineering advantages. A paper presented by Professor G. M. Fills is available on this web site.