Monitored Displacements of Unique Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Bridge Abutments

A geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) system was constructed to support the shallow footings of a two-span bridge and the approaching roadway structures. Construction of this system, the Founders/Meadows bridge abutments, was completed in 1999 near Denver, Colorado, USA. This unique system was selected with the objectives of alleviating the “bump at the bridge” problem often noticed when using traditional deep foundations, allowing for a small construction working area, and facilitating construction in stages. The primary focus of the paper is to evaluate the deformation response of this structure under service loads based on displacement data collected through surveying, inclinometer, strain gages, and digital road profiler. The overall short- and long-term performance of the Founders/Meadows structure was excellent, suggesting that GRS walls are a viable alternative to support both bridge and approaching roadway structures.