"This report presents the following three recent projects on load testing of geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutments and piers: a full-scale bridge pier load test conducted by the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, Federal Highway Administration, in 1996 (referred to as the Turner-Fairbank pier), a full-scale, long-term load test of a bridge abutment and a bridge pier conducted by the Colorado Department of Transportation and the University of Colorado at Denver in 1996-I 997 (referred to as the Havana Yard piers and abutment); and a production bridge abutment load test conducted by Yenter Companies in Black Hawk, Colorado, in 1997 (referred to as the Black Hawk Abutment). All the bridge supporting structures were instrumented to measure their performance during the load test. The effect of pre-loading. was also investigated in the Turner-Fairbank pier and the Black Hawk abutment. The report describes each of the projects in detail, presents the measured test results and discussion of the results, and offers recommendations on the applications of the GRS bridge abutments and piers"--Tech. report doc. page.

Introduction and research approach -- Findings -- Interpretation, appraisal, and applications -- Conclusions and suggested research -- Appendixes.

The first book to provide a detailed overview of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Walls Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Walls deploy horizontal layers of closely spaced tensile inclusion in the fill material to achieve stability of a soil mass. GRS walls are more adaptable to different environmental conditions, more economical, and offer high performance in a wide range of transportation infrastructure applications. This book addresses both GRS and GMSE, with a much stronger emphasis on the former. For completeness, it begins with a review of shear strength of soils and classical earth pressure theories. It then goes on to examine the use of geosynthetics as reinforcement, and followed by the load-deformation behavior of GRS mass as a soil-geosynthetic composite, reinforcing mechanisms of GRS, and GRS walls with different types of facing. Finally, the book finishes by covering design concepts with design examples for different loading and geometric conditions, and the construction of GRS walls, including typical construction procedures and general construction guidelines. The number of GRS walls and abutments built to date is relatively low due to lack of understanding of GRS. While failure rate of GMSE has been estimated to be around 5%, failure of GRS has been found to be practically nil, with studies suggesting many advantages, including a smaller susceptibility to long-term creep and stronger resistance to seismic loads when well-compacted granular fill is employed. Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Walls will serve as an excellent guide or reference for wall projects such as transportation infrastructure—including roadways, bridges, retaining walls, and earth slopes—that are in dire need of repair and replacement in the U.S. and abroad. Covers both GRS and GMSE (MSE with geosynthetics as reinforcement); with much greater emphasis on GRS walls Showcases reinforcing mechanisms, engineering behavior, and design concepts of GRS and includes many step-by-step design examples Features information on typical construction procedures and general construction guidelines Includes hundreds of line drawings and photos Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Walls is an important book for practicing geotechnical engineers and structural engineers, as well as for advanced students of civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering.

This synthesis will be of interest to state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) geotechnical, structural, roadway design, construction, and maintenance engineers; DOT research staff; and personnel in local transportation agencies. This synthesis describes the current state of the practice for the design, construction, and maintenance of bridge approaches to reduce, eliminate, or compensate for settlement at the bridge/abutment/embankment interface or the bump at the end of the bridge. It discusses the geotechnical and structural engineering design and procedural factors to reduce the bump at the end of the bridge, and includes numerous illustrations. This report of the Transportation Research Board presents data obtained from a review of the literature and a survey of the state DOTs. It is a supplemental update to Synthesis of Highway Practice 159: Design and Construction of Bridge Approaches (1990). The synthesis identifies and describes techniques that have been used to alleviate the problem of the bump at the end of the bridge including the location and cause of settlement and methods used to reduce settlement. In addition, the types of interaction between various divisions of the DOTs in the design, construction, and maintenance of bridge approaches are addressed.

Earth reinforcement techniques are used worldwide, providing dependable solutions to a wide range of geotechnical engineering problems.Well-established earth reinforcement technologies are regularly augmented by new materials, innovative construction techniques and advances in design and analysis. Furthermore, reinforced earth structures are increasingly seen as expedient and economical techniques in disaster situations, such as earthquakes, flooding or tsunamis. NEW HORIZONS in EARTH REINFORCEMENT contains contributions from the 5th International Symposium on Earth Reinforcement, Kyushu, Japan, 14-16 November 2007, and presents the very latest earth reinforcement techniques and design procedures. The volume showcases advances in materials and emerging applications, with special emphasis on disaster mitigation and geoenvironmental issues. The book will be invaluable to academics and professionals in geotechnical engineering.

The first book to provide a detailed overview of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Walls Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Walls deploy horizontal layers of closely spaced tensile inclusion in the fill material to achieve stability of a soil mass. GRS walls are more adaptable to different environmental conditions, more economical, and offer high performance in a wide range of transportation infrastructure applications. This book addresses both GRS and GMSE, with a much stronger emphasis on the former. For completeness, it begins with a review of shear strength of soils and classical earth pressure theories. It then goes on to examine the use of geosynthetics as reinforcement, and followed by the load-deformation behavior of GRS mass as a soil-geosynthetic composite, reinforcing mechanisms of GRS, and GRS walls with different types of facing. Finally, the book finishes by covering design concepts with design examples for different loading and geometric conditions, and the construction of GRS walls, including typical construction procedures and general construction guidelines. The number of GRS walls and abutments built to date is relatively low due to lack of understanding of GRS. While failure rate of GMSE has been estimated to be around 5%, failure of GRS has been found to be practically nil, with studies suggesting many advantages, including a smaller susceptibility to long-term creep and stronger resistance to seismic loads when well-compacted granular fill is employed. Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Walls will serve as an excellent guide or reference for wall projects such as transportation infrastructure—including roadways, bridges, retaining walls, and earth slopes—that are in dire need of repair and replacement in the U.S. and abroad. Covers both GRS and GMSE (MSE with geosynthetics as reinforcement); with much greater emphasis on GRS walls Showcases reinforcing mechanisms, engineering behavior, and design concepts of GRS and includes many step-by-step design examples Features information on typical construction procedures and general construction guidelines Includes hundreds of line drawings and photos Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Walls is an important book for practicing geotechnical engineers and structural engineers, as well as for advanced students of civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering.