A Practical Approach To Bridge Foundation Design

Abstract

This paper aims to provide guidance on a process for the design of bridge foundations. It sets out a brief explanation of bridge terminology, and afterwards discusses aspects of the geotechnical investigation, foundation design, and construction specification for bridges. It is intended to assist engineers who may not be familiar with bridge design in gaining a working knowledge of the basic design principles and requirements. It is not intended as a detailed step-by-step procedure for foundation design itself, but rather as a framework for a systematic process of design. Among the aspects that are emphasized are the process of assessment of geotechnical design parameters, and the means by which the outputs from geotechnical analyses can be most effectively communicated to others involved in the design process, especially the structural engineers.