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Bearing Replacement and Strengthening of Forth Road Bridge Approach Viaducts - UK PDF
Bearing Replacement and Strengthening of Forth Road Bridge Approach Viaducts - UK PDF
Chris R Hendy
The steel girders of the approach viaducts are supported on steel roller and
rocker bearings. The bearings are fixed to reinforced concrete portal piers
Head of Bridge Design which are founded on rock. These piers vary in height between 11m and
and Technology
40m. An initial study of the bearings identified that the rollers had locked up
Highways & due to corrosion and distortion, and the concrete beneath the bearings and
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elsewhere on the pier tops had deteriorated due to chloride contamination.
Atkins Assessment showed that structural deficiencies in the pier were exacerbated
by both the concrete deterioration and change in articulation. These factors
lead to the decision to replace all the bearings on the viaducts.
Homayoon Pouya
Materials Engineer The original structure was not designed to facilitate replacement of the
bearings so the structure had to be strengthened and modified by the addition
Highways &
Transportation
of jacking stiffeners and corbels to the pier tops. Initial design was carried out
to BS5400 leading to substantial amounts of strengthening being required.
Atkins
This was then repeated using Eurocodes to gain better structural efficiency
and reduce the amount of strengthening required to the deck and piers. This
paper outlines the design of the strengthening and modifications to the bridge
Jessica Sandberg to facilitate bearing replacement, together with a detailed description of the
design of the temporary works needed to maintain the bridges articulation
Senior Engineer
during jacking. Lessons learnt during construction are discussed and the
Highways & structural benefits of design to Eurocodes are emphasised.
Transportation
Atkins Keywords: Roller bearings, bearing replacement, steel box girders, steel
strengthening, Eurocodes, virtual reality modelling.
Paul Smout
Engineer
Introduction
Highways & The Forth Road Bridge (Figure 1) and extend from the abutments to
Transportation
spans the Firth of Forth and was the side towers, which are shared
Atkins completed in 1964. The main with the main suspension bridge. The
structure is a three span suspension total width of the structure is 36m.
bridge. At each end of the bridge
The box girders rest on steel roller
there are two multi-span approach
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129 Bearing replacement and strengthening of Forth Road
Bridge approach viaducts, UK
= rocker
= roller
(a)
= rocker
= roller
(b)
83
bearing could not transmit torsional
reaction from the box girders,
necessitating strengthening to the
cross girders at supports.
Replacing the current bearings
with new roller bearings was also
considered. This would involve no
modifications to the diaphragm and
there would be no change to the
current articulation of the structure.
However, the new bearings would
have required a larger diameter
than the original bearings in order
to comply with BS EN 1337-4 and
would not, therefore, fit within the
available vertical space between the
pier top and the box girder soffit.
A higher material grade (with yield
strength equal to or exceeding 690
(a)
MPa) was also considered to enable
the diameter to be reduced, but
sufficient confidence could not be
obtained in the toughness of the
steelwork that would be obtained.
The final solution therefore was
to adopt a sliding bearing. This
minimised the changes to the
original articulation, whilst avoiding
the potential problems with brittle
materials. To minimise the effect on
the existing structure, the bearing
was detailed with the sliding surface
on the lower surface so all the
eccentricity occurred on the pier and
not on the box girder diaphragms;
the previous roller bearings shared
the eccentricity between the pier
and box. This had a negligible effect
on the overall pier load effects but
was beneficial to the box girder (b)
diaphragms. It was recognised that Figure 6. New bearings, (a) Rockers, (b) Sliders
this detail could lead to durability
problems so, to prevent ingress Steel box girders
of dirt on the sliding surface, the Assessment of box
A typical internal arrangement of
bearings were detailed with a girders and piers as a steel box is shown in Figure 7.
protective gaiter.
built The steel box girders were initially
For the rocker bearing, a similar assessed using BS5400-3 and
process was completed for the To replace the bearings, the structure BD 56, which found significant
selection and replacement rocker had to be modified to allow for overstress in the existing structure.
bearings were selected. The new new jacking points. Therefore both Particular areas for concern were
bearing types are shown in Figure 6. the steel box and the concrete the resistances to shear and shear-
substructure were assessed to moment interaction. In addition,
determine the existing resistances of the shape limits for the stiffeners
the relevant components. (to prevent torsional buckling) were
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129 Bearing replacement and strengthening of Forth Road
Bridge approach viaducts, UK
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129 Bearing replacement and strengthening of Forth Road
Bridge approach viaducts, UK
Strengthening of the existing holes in the pier. Transverse restraint box ends landed on a shared pier
longitudinal web stiffeners on the (to the smaller forces from wind and hence an additional set of jacks
internal web faces was also replaced and skidding loads) was provided and tie bars was provided so the
by additional new longitudinal by the jacking stacks themselves. restraint system could both push
stiffeners on the external web faces. This required the use of a guided and pull. These additional features
Moving the stiffeners to the outside temporary bearing on one of the jack were unnecessary at continuous
of the box in this way increased the stacks at a box support location to box locations as the restraints
steelwork quantities but improved resist the shear, with free bearings only needed to carry forces in one
buildability as the plates did not need at the other jack locations. Similar direction. The horizontal restraint
to be brought into the box. External systems were designed for the jacks were engaged before lifting
stiffeners were considered elsewhere abutments and side towers; these are the superstructure and remained
but proved to be less convenient not described here. engaged during the bearing
because of the difficulties of replacement until the girders
The purpose of the restraint system
getting continuity across the jacking were lowered down onto the new
at rocker bearing locations was to fix
stiffeners at intermediate piers, as bearings.
the bridge piers to the superstructure
was needed in the design.
throughout the bearing replacement The restraint systems at roller
whilst the fixity of the permanent bearing locations were similar but
bearings was temporarily released. were provided only to control the
The steel brackets at intermediate release of force locked into the roller
piers were of the form shown in bearings. It was known such forces
Figure 15 with a horizontal jack existed from earlier pier monitoring.
connecting the top of each restraint Lifting of the superstructure under
to the adjacent jacking stiffener these conditions could have caused
base plate. The jacks allowed the a sudden release of horizontal force
differential horizontal movement and a springing back of the pier
between the superstructure and in a potentially dangerous sudden
substructure to be controlled under movement. The provision of jacks
the small deflections occurring in allowed this force and movement to
the steelwork itself. The system in be released in a controlled and safe
Figure 15 was the arrangement for manner.
Pier S3 where two simply supported
Restraint systems
The articulation of the bridge needed
to be maintained during bearing
replacement. Since the longitudinal
forces at fixed bearings were too
large to take in shear on the jacks,
separate temporary restraint systems
were provided to connect the bridge
superstructure to the substructure
during the bearing replacement
process. The form of the restraints
varied according to the location but
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In all cases, generous allowance for requirements for jacking components bearings. That latter was set at
eccentricities was made in the design and box strengthening, the stiffness 0.2mm and this proved to cause no
of the steelwork because aligning the of each jacking system was reduced problem during grouting.
temporary restraint brackets, whose by incorporating an elastomeric pad
position was fixed by the locations of between the jack and temporary
Cathodic protection
the core holes for the Macalloy bars, bearing within a further bespoke The inspection and concrete test
with the jacking stiffener base plate bearing capable of transmitting data indicated that the cause of
stiffening had significant tolerance. transverse shear. The assembly concrete deterioration was chloride
formed by these three components induced corrosion, possibly from the
As a result of this provision of
was referred to as the jacking initial use of de-icing salts in the first
temporary fixity, no limit was set on
stack and is shown in Figure 16b twenty years of the bridges life. The
the number of piers which could be
undergoing a load test. chloride ion content at the majority
jacked up at any one time.
of pier tops and both abutments
The determination of the required
Design of jacking system stiffness for each jacking stack was
was in excess of the threshold value
of 0.3% by mass of cement and
The jacking scheme utilised two carried out by linear finite element
the diffusion calculations suggest
jacking points per bearing at each analysis of the entire south viaduct.
that the critical level at the depth
abutment and side tower and Box girders, transverse beams,
of reinforcement would be reached
four jacking points at other pier diaphragms, internal stiffeners and
in the next 5 to 8 years. Action was
locations. The jacking system at concrete slab were all modelled
therefore required to arrest continued
each jacking point comprised three with thick shell elements, while the
deterioration. Various repair options
jacks supporting either a transversely jacking stiffeners were added as
were considered but the application
guided or free pot bearing; the initial beam elements. Figure 17 shows
of cathodic protection (CP) to the
concept utilised only one large jack the distribution of forces between
piers, side towers and abutments,
at each jacking point but this was the four jacking points as a function
together with minimal concrete
modified once on site to suit the of elastomeric pad stiffness at pier
repairs solely to the delaminated
equipment available Figure 16a. S4. The jacking sequence included
areas, was evaluated to be the most
This ensured that the relatively small the jacks being hydraulically linked
cost-efficient solution for the sub-
transverse forces from the deck for dead loads and subsequently
structure.
(due to wind and skidding) were locked-off for live loads. A maximum
taken through the guided bearings stiffness of 107 kN/m was needed to An impressed current (ICCP)
and then through the jacks to the prevent uplift at a jack. The upper system was selected with design
piers. Longitudinally, the bearing line shows the total force in all the undertaken in compliance with the
transmitted no loading to the jacks jacks. It can be seen that below a recommendations of references 3
(other than from friction at the stiffness of 105 kN/m, the forces to 5. Three types of anode systems
roller bearing piers). Longitudinal in the jacks were very even but were used in the design: titanium
forces at rocker piers were carried the flexibility is such that load was mesh based anode to be installed at
by the temporary longitudinal fixities shed to adjacent piers, which was the interface of concrete substrate
described previously because the undesirable. The vertical flexibility and new corbels; titanium ribbon
shear forces were too large to be under live load would also have based anodes to be installed within
carried by the jacks and additionally, compromised the ability to grout slots cut into the concrete cover;
the uneven bearing pressure resulting below the new bearings. Full 3D and titanium ribbon based discrete
on the jacks from the longitudinal modelling was essential to model the anodes designed to be installed
force would have been too great for redistribution of torque also caused within holes drilled into the structure.
the concrete. by the softer bearing support; this Reference electrodes for monitoring
slightly increased the stress resultants the performance of each anode zone
At locations with four jacking points,
in the support cross girders. were also included.
the load at each jacking point
after lock off was potentially very The final design stiffness of the jack The area covered by each anode zone
uneven under live loading due to stack was tuned to a value between was designed to be independently
the torsion attracted to the boxes 106 kN/m and 107 kN/m so that powered by an integrated power
and the tendency to uplift on the uplift could not occur under any load supply and data acquisition unit,
back span jacks where only one combination and load was shared which will provide the facility for
span was loaded. To prevent uplift economically between jacks, but controlling the voltage and current
at a jack position and to distribute the vertical displacement under load to each zone; and monitor/control
the loads between them more would not be so great as to disrupt the performance of the CP system.
evenly, thus minimising the strength grouting beneath the permanent All units are installed within two
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129 Bearing replacement and strengthening of Forth Road
Bridge approach viaducts, UK
Conclusion
The replacement of the bearings
on the Forth Road Bridge is a very
significant undertaking because
of the lack of provision for this
eventuality in the initial bridge
design. The solution developed,
involving modification of the
structure to provide permanent
jacking points on superstructure
and substructure, now makes
any future bearing replacement
or refurbishment a much simpler, (a)
quicker and cheaper operation.
The permanent modification to the
structure, by addition of corbels
to the piers and external stiffening
to the box girders, was carried out
sympathetically to the original design
and under the scrutiny of Historic
Scotland.
A number of measures were taken to
minimise the cost of the modification
works and could be considered for
future bearing replacement schemes.
These included the use of Eurocodes
for the assessment of the existing
structure and design of the new
works, the use of external stiffening
to improve buildability and the use
of elastomeric pads incorporated in
the jacking system to give a better
distribution of jack loads after lock
off and hence reduced demand on
the new stiffening and concrete
(b)
corbels.
Figure 16. Jacking Stack, (a) Concept with single jack, (b) Final three jack system
undergoing load test
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Figure 17. Results of sensitivity analysis on elastomeric pad stiffness
References
1. Hendy CR, Sandberg J, Shetty NK, Recommendations for Assessment Eurocodes for Bridges, ICE Bridge
Engineering March 2011, Thomas Telford, UK
2. Hendy CR, Smith DA, Strengthening of Irwell Valley Bridge, UK, ICE Bridge Engineering March 2008, Thomas
Telford, UK
3. BS EN 12696 (2000), Cathodic Protection of Steel in Concrete, British Standards Institution, London.
4. National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Standard Recommended Practice - Cathodic Protection of
Reinforcing Steel in Atmospherically Exposed Concrete Structures, NACE International, 2000.
5. Concrete Society, Technical Report No. 36: Cathodic protection of reinforced concrete. Concrete Society, 1989
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