• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.594-601
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• 2019

A true MSEW abutment is an abutment type that directly supports the load of a superstructure. Metal strips, which are in-extensile reinforcements, should be used to minimize abutment deformation. A study to derive the application conditions of a True MSEW abutment was carried out by Zevogolis(2007). As a result, the pullout factor of safety of the uppermost reinforcement was estimated to be the smallest. Therefore, the pullout factor of safety of the uppermost reinforcement is the most important design factor. Parameter analysis was conducted with the abutment length, abutment heel, and abutment height as variables. The pullout factor of safety increased with increasing abutment length and abutment heel length. This is because the contact area increases and the superstructure is dispersed as the abutment length and abutment heel length increase. The pullout factor of safety converges at an abutment length of 1.2m and an abutment heel length of 0.9m. This is because the effective length of the reinforcement is reduced due to the increase in contact area. On the other hand, the extension of the superstructure will increase if the abutment length and abutment heel length are increased excessively. In addition, earth-volume is increased if the abutment height increases excessively. This acts as an upper load on the MSE wall. Therefore, it needs to be examined carefully.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.399-409
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• 2018

The mechanically stabilized earth wall (MSEW) of the IPM bridge is an important structure that constitutes the bridge, and supports the horizontal earth pressure and approach slab. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully analyze the settlement of MSEW of the IPM bridge. This study examined the settlement according to the height and ground stiffness on the MSEW on the IPM Bridge. According to the design guideline, the IPM Bridge (2016) was designed to have a height of 4.0 ~ 10.0m and the elastic settlement was calculated. The base area and the grounding pressure of the MSE wall increased linearly with the height, and the elastic settlement also increased linearly. In addition, the stiffness of the foundations satisfying the allowable settlement of the approach slab is a N value of 35 or more. The settlement of finite element analysis was estimated to be smaller than the elastic settlement, and the stiffness of the foundation ground satisfied the allowable settlement of the approach slab above N value of 20. Because the elastic settlement of the MSEW of the IPM Bridge was overestimated, it will be necessary to examine it carefully by finite element analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.133-144
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• 2009

Incheon Bridge, 18.4 km long sea-crossing bridge, will be opened to the traffic in October 2009 and this will be the new landmark of the gearing up north-east Asia as well as the largest & longest bridge of Korea. Incheon Bridge is the integrated set of several special featured bridges including a magnificent cable-stayed girder bridge which has a main span of 800 m width to cross the navigation channel in and out of the Port of Incheon. Incheon Bridge is making an epoch of long-span bridge designs thanks to the fully application of the AASHTO LRFD (load & resistance factor design) to both the superstructures and the substructures. A state-of-the-art of the geotechnologies which were applied to the Incheon Bridge construction project is introduced. The most Large-diameter drilled shafts were penetrated into the bedrock to support the colossal superstructures. The bearing capacity and deformational characteristics of the foundations were verified through the world's largest static pile load test. 8 full-scale pilot piles were tested in both offshore site and onshore area prior to the commencement of constructions. Compressible load beyond 30,000 tonf pressed a single 3 m diameter foundation pile by means of bi-directional loading method including the Osterberg cell techniques. Detailed site investigation to characterize the subsurface properties had been carried out. Geotextile tubes, tied sheet pile walls, and trestles were utilized to overcome the very large tidal difference between ebb and flow at the foreshore site. 44 circular-cell type dolphins surround the piers near the navigation channel to protect the bridge against the collision with aberrant vessels. Each dolphin structure consists of the flat sheet piled wall and infilled aggregates to absorb the collision impact. Geo-centrifugal tests were performed to evaluate the behavior of the dolphin in the seabed and to verify the numerical model for the design. Rip-rap embankments on the seabed are expected to prevent the scouring of the foundation. Prefabricated vertical drains, sand compaction piles, deep cement mixings, horizontal natural-fiber drains, and other subsidiary methods were used to improve the soft ground for the site of abutments, toll plazas, and access roads. Light-weight backfill using EPS blocks helps to reduce the earth pressure behind the abutment on the soft ground. Some kinds of reinforced earth like as MSE using geosynthetics were utilized for the ring wall of the abutment. Soil steel bridges made of corrugated steel plates and engineered backfills were constructed for the open-cut tunnel and the culvert. Diverse experiences of advanced designs and constructions from the Incheon Bridge project have been propagated by relevant engineers and it is strongly expected that significant achievements in geotechnical engineering through this project will contribute to the national development of the longspan bridge technologies remarkably.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.263-274
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• 2018

In this study, the applicability and external/internal stability of a MSEW abutment with a slab were investigated. Structural analysis of slab bridges between 10 ~ 20.0 m and thicknesses of 0.7 ~ 0.9 m was carried out to calculate the reaction forces due to dead and live loads acting on the bridge supports. The slab bridge with a length of 20.0 m satisfied the allowable contact pressure of 200 kPa for the true MSEW abutment. Because the external stability of the true MSEW abutment was dominated by the geometry of the MSE wall, the change in the factor of safety due to the load of the super-structure is small. Because the stiffness of the foundations is fixed and the load of the super-structure is increased, the factor of safety of the bearing capacity was reduced. As the load of the super-structure was increased, the horizontal earth pressure of the true MSEW abutment increased greatly. As a result, the pullout and fracture of the uppermost reinforcement, which are the factors of safety, did not meet the design criteria. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the pullout resistance and the long-term allowable tensile force of the reinforcement placed on the top of the reinforced soils to ensure efficient design and performance of a true MSEW abutment.