CHAPTER 11 - ABUTMENTS, WING WALLS, PIERS AND

RETAINING WALLS
DS Temple

11.1 SCOPE

This section covers the inspection and monitoring of Reinforced Concrete Abutments, Wing Walls,
Piers and Retaining Walls. It also covers the special attention which must be given by the engineer’s
monitoring staff to the specific requirements of setting out of these major bridge elements, the special
requirements (as noted elsewhere in this manual) for excavations, backfill, falsework and formwork,
reinforcement, concrete and ancillary components relating to these elements.

11.2 ABUTMENTS, WING WALLS, PIERS AND RETAINING WALLS

11.2.1 Setting Out (Refer to Chapter 3)

In addition to the requirements of Chapter 3 the following should be checked as being specifically
relevant to these bridge elements.

11.2.1.1 Levels

• Top of blinding.
• Top of foundations.
• Top of abutment bridge seat and piers for bearings. Adjustments may have to be made for
precamber of decks (refer to Chapter 6).
• Top of wing walls and retaining walls.

11.2.1.2 Setting out Points

• Centre line of bearings on abutments and piers to verify span lengths on drawings.
• Front face of wing walls and retaining walls to road centerline for final horizontal clearances as
applicable.

11.2.2 Foundations (Refer to Chapter 4 & 5)

• The foundations for these substructures should be verified in accordance with the requirements
of the adequacy of the bearing strata for spread footings in accordance with Chapter 4. The
monitoring staff must ensure that any required measures such as foundation fill, mass concrete,
etc have been carried out before the foundations are constructed.
• Ensure that the contractor has pumps available to dewater foundation excavations as required.

11.2.3 Falsework & Formwork (Refer to Chapter 6)

• Formwork should conform to the Project and Standard Specifications. The use of corner fillets
and other finishing details are generally required and their provision must be checked.
• Provision should be made on retaining walls for a precamber towards the back of the wall to
provide for deflection under earth loads.

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 • Propping and support of formwork against the sides of excavations should always be checked to
ensure that the formwork remains in position during concreting.
• Striking of formwork and curing should be undertaken strictly in accordance with the
Specifications.

11.2.4 Steel Reinforcement (Refer to Chapter 7)

In the case of river bridges the reinforcement cages should only be placed or fixed when the risk of
flooding of the excavations is small.

Should there be flooding of excavations before casting the foundations and after reinforcement has
been fixed, the water should be pumped out and the formwork and the reinforcement thoroughly
cleaned to ensure that no debris whatsoever is trapped in the foundations during casting. If it appears
that movement of reinforcement has occurred in foundations or other parts of the sub-structures, the
formwork should be removed and the reinforcement adjusted to fit.

In some cases (columns and piers) reinforcement should be checked before the formwork is erected.

The accuracy of placing of starter bars is critical, as it is impossible to correct incorrectly placed bars
after the concrete is cast.

Some sub-structures, especially slender columns, can be highly reinforced and special attention should
be given to ensuring that the concrete can be properly placed and compacted.

Cover to reinforcement is of critical importance for the buried parts of sub-structures as defects in this
area are rarely seen until problems occur later in the life of the structure.

11.2.5 Concrete (Refer to Chapter 8)

The correct class and size of aggregate should be confirmed with the contractor before casting of sub-
structure elements.

The importance of the correct slump for the application should be carefully controlled and confirmed
with the contractor. Low slump concrete in sub-structures is always preferred, however, a higher
slump in members with highly congested reinforcement is recommended.

Members of great height (either columns, piers or walls) require that great care be taken during
casting. Generally columns and piers adjacent to roads should for aesthetic and structural reasons be
cast in one lift. Only in cases where the designer grants specific approval or has specifically designed
the column, pier or wall with a horizontal joint feature should the casting of the element be permitted
in lifts.

Repairs to concrete defects discovered after stripping should be repaired as soon as possible. This is so
that the repair mortar will bond and blend with the parent concrete without differential shrinkage
occurring. A method statement and concrete repair methodology should be submitted to the
monitoring staff for review before the concrete work starts on the project so that the Engineer can
authorize repairs timeously.

11.2.6 Backfill behind Abutments

It is always preferred (unless otherwise specified on the drawings or in the Specifications) to backfill
behind abutments up to the bearing seat level before casting of the screen wall. This is to ensure that
the expansion gap between the deck and abutment is not reduced if slight movement occurs.

Abutments, Wing Walls, Piers and Retaining Walls 11-2

The type, quality and compaction of selected backfill behind abutments and retaining walls are
important factors in limiting settlement behind these structures and the engineers’ monitoring staff
should therefore check that the quality and compaction of the backfill material conforms to the Project
and Standard Specifications.

Backfill with boulders should not be permitted as this will create local stress concentrations in the
structures. Compaction of backfill material behind abutments and retaining walls should be carried out
up to a distance of 3 meters from the concrete faces using hand operated compactors to the density as
specified.

11.2.7 Ancillary Components (Refer to Chapter 14)

11.2.7.1 Bearings

The monitoring staff should ensure that during the construction of sub-structure elements all bearing
seats and tops of columns and piers are properly finished off (as described in Chapter 14) to the correct
levels so that the bearings can be installed correctly. The contractor should submit shop drawings of
bearings for review prior to manufacture.

11.2.7.2 Expansion Joints

Most bridges are provided with closed expansion joint systems which are built into the decks and
abutments at the level of the surfacing. These joints form the dual purpose of preventing debris from
jamming the movement of the bridge and waterproofing the movement joints so that staining of the
concrete surfaces and other parasitic effects do not occur.

11.2.7.3 Drainage

Drainage behind substructures such as abutments, wing walls and retaining walls is of paramount
importance. These structures are generally not designed to resist pore pressures and therefore the sub-
surface drainage systems including weepholes, drainage pipes, etc, must be installed properly and
should be clean and in working condition when inspected.

Photo 11.1: Inadequate drainage at bridge abutments

Abutments, Wing Walls, Piers and Retaining Walls 11-3

The unnecessary ponding of water on abutment bearing seat beams should be avoided and the
drainage pipes draining these areas must be properly installed and fit for purpose. If this is not
checked, ponding can lead to unnecessary staining of the concrete and the promotion of parasitic
effects such as Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR).

11.2.7.4 Services

Service ducts for future and planned services (such as lighting) should be installed correctly inside the
reinforcement as specified and indicated on the drawings.

11.3 INSPECTIONS

The engineer’s monitoring staff should use the abutment, wing walls, piers and retaining wall
checklists or the checklists as provided for in the relevant Chapter of this Manual for each structural
element of every substructure.

Abutments, Wing Walls, Piers and Retaining Walls 11-4

 INDEX TO APPENDICES

APPENDIX 11A - ABUTMENTS

APPENDIX 11B - WING WALLS

APPENDIX 11C - PIERS

APPENDIX 11D - RETAINING WALLS

Abutments, Wing Walls, Piers and Retaining Walls 11-5

 APPENDIX 11A
ABUTMENTS CHECK LIST
CONSTRUCTION MONITORING CHECKLIST
PROJECT NO. / NAME: .......................................................................................................................................
INSPECTOR’S NAME(S): ....................................................................................................................................
STRUCTURE: ........................................................... ELEMENT: ..............................................................

APPROVAL
ACTIVITY AND DETAILS SIGNED DATE
Y/N N/A Comment
1. SETTING OUT AND FOUNDING
1.1 Setting out
1.2 Foundations:
• Excavation safety
• Allowable bearing pressure
• Foundation Fill
2. CONCRETE MIX DESIGNS
2.1 Review concrete mix designs
3. FOUNDATIONS
3.1 Formwork
3.2 Reinforcement
3.3 Concrete tests
4. ABUTMENT
4.1 Formwork
4.2 Reinforcement
4.3 Concrete tests
4.4 Concrete finish
5. OTHER ITEMS
5.1 Tie into existing structures
5.2 Bearing plinths
5.3 Joint sealing
5.4 Bridge numbers
5.5 Drainage systems
5.6 Backfill
5.7 Bridge deck expansion joint recesses

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 APPENDIX 11B
WING WALLS CHECK LIST
CONSTRUCTION MONITORING CHECKLIST
PROJECT NO. / NAME: .......................................................................................................................................
INSPECTOR’S NAME(S): ....................................................................................................................................
STRUCTURE: ........................................................... ELEMENT: ..............................................................

APPROVAL
ACTIVITY AND DETAILS SIGNED DATE
Y/N N/A Comment
1. SETTING OUT AND FOUNDING
1.1 Setting out
1.2 Foundations:
• Excavation safety
• Allowable bearing pressure
• Foundation Fill
2. CONCRETE MIX DESIGNS
2.1 Review concrete mix designs
3. FOUNDATIONS
3.1 Formwork
3.2 Reinforcement
3.3 Concrete tests
4. WING WALLS
4.1 Formwork
4.2 Reinforcement
4.3 Concrete tests
4.4 Concrete finish
5. OTHER ITEMS
5.1 Tie into existing structures
5.2 Joint sealing
5.3 Bridge numbers
5.4 Drainage systems
5.5 Backfill
5.6 Bridge deck expansion joint recesses

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 APPENDIX 11C
PIERS CHECK LIST
CONSTRUCTION MONITORING CHECKLIST
PROJECT NO. / NAME: .......................................................................................................................................
INSPECTOR’S NAME(S): ....................................................................................................................................
STRUCTURE: ........................................................... ELEMENT: ..............................................................

APPROVAL
ACTIVITY AND DETAILS SIGNED DATE
Y/N N/A Comment
1. SETTING OUT AND FOUNDING
1.1 Setting out
1.2 Foundations:
• Excavation safety
• Allowable bearing pressure
• Foundation Fill
2. CONCRETE MIX DESIGNS
2.1 Review concrete mix designs
3. FOUNDATIONS
3.1 Formwork
3.2 Reinforcement
3.3 Concrete tests
4. PIERS
4.1 Formwork
4.2 Reinforcement
4.3 Concrete tests
4.4 Concrete finish
5. OTHER ITEMS
5.1 Tie into existing structures
5.2 Joint sealing
5.3 Bridge numbers
5.4 Drainage systems
5.5 Backfill

Abutments, Wing Walls, Piers and Retaining Walls 11-8

 APPENDIX 11D
RETAINING WALLS CHECK LIST
CONSTRUCTION MONITORING CHECKLIST
PROJECT NO. / NAME: .......................................................................................................................................
INSPECTOR’S NAME(S): ....................................................................................................................................
STRUCTURE: ........................................................... ELEMENT: ..............................................................

APPROVAL
ACTIVITY AND DETAILS SIGNED DATE
Y/N N/A Comment
1. SETTING OUT AND FOUNDING
1.1 Setting out
1.2 Foundations:
• Excavation safety
• Allowable bearing pressure
• Foundation Fill
2. CONCRETE MIX DESIGNS
2.1 Review concrete mix designs
3. FOUNDATIONS
3.1 Formwork
3.2 Reinforcement
3.3 Concrete tests
4. RETAINING WALLS
4.1 Formwork
4.2 Reinforcement
4.3 Concrete tests
4.4 Concrete finish
5. OTHER ITEMS
5.1 Tie into existing structures
5.2 Joint sealing
5.3 Wall numbers
5.4 Drainage systems
5.5 Backfill
5.6 Expansion joins

Abutments, Wing Walls, Piers and Retaining Walls 11-9