Monitoring of a Swedish Integral Abutment Bridge

One of the most commonly discussed problems regarding bridges with integral abutments is the influence of longitudinal elongation of the superstructure as a result of seasonal temperature variations. A bridge built with integral abutments is often supported by a row of piles made of steel or concrete. The longitudinal elongation of the superstructure induces a displacement and a rotation at the top of the pile, which in turn may cause strains that exceeds the yield strain. Such seasonal variations may lead to low-cyclic fatigue failure in the pile. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the amplitude of these strains, as well as the general behaviour of the bridge. In 2005, the European R&D project, INTAB (RFSR-CT-2005-00041, “Economic and Durable Design of Bridges with Integral Abutments, 2005–2008”) was started. Within the INTAB project a composite bridge was built and monitored in Northern Sweden.