The behaviour of the soils beneath the embankment close to the abutment is one of the most critical factors affecting the performance of bridge approaches. The client was suffering from sinking of bridge approaches due to the impact loads from the rail, transitioning to a concrete bridge abutment onto ballasted concrete ties. Settlement of approaches to bridges is a common challenge that rail authorities face across the country.
There were many challenges. Differential settlement between the concrete bridge and approach produced the common bump at the end of the bridge. The geometric alignment of the rails got disturbed due to sinking in the approaches. Increased wear on bridge components led to decreased ride quality for freight and passengers, lower train speeds and poorer train safety.
Strata’s geotechnical experts proposed an out-of-the-box approach for this challenge. They suggested using their soil confinement product – StrataWeb® geocells. StrataWeb® offered a long-lasting solution to repair sinking bridge approaches, with minimal maintenance.
Strata’s value addition included a very durable solution with minimal maintenance and provided a semi-rigid transition zone from flexible to rigid surface. Improved safety as incorporating StrataWeb® reduced the vertical stress and turned out to be a cost-effective solution.
