Large-Scale Testing and Long-Term Monitoring of Reinforced Earth Abutment – A Case Study

Standard methods of controlling geotechnical structures are based on testing of individual elements (e.g., piles, anchors, barrettes) or on inventory of their displacements (for instance, current control, i.e., monitoring of retaining structures). It is only the bridgework where, due to uniqueness and importance of structures, the examinations are often run for the whole structures. The main problems are then the following: how to ensure proper repeatability of measurement accuracy (for long-term testing), how to establish optimum criteria of assessing the test results, how to use the results to make possible repair actions and how to interpret the obtained results. Based on an example of test of bridge abutment out of reinforced earth, the paper presents the method of displacement testing, basic criteria of assessing the results, measurement results during static load phase, during dynamic phase and results of long-term measurements. Large number of measurements enables for both evaluation of technical condition of the structure under testing (which was the main goal of the procedures performed) and drawing conclusions referring to the methodology of testing the structure out of reinforced earth as concerns the evaluation criteria adopted.