Abstract
Field studies of highway bridge performance have led to repeatedobservations of severe cracking and dislocation of the backwalls ofreinforced-concrete abutments. The observed distress is correlated with the presence of adjacent reinforced-concrete pavements, and thecause is attributed to the longitudinal growth of the concrete pavements. Field observations are presented and discussed. A finite element model of a representative abutment is used to study the expectedstress distributions caused by several hypothesized mechanisms thatmight contribute to the observed damage. Methods to prevent future damage are discussed. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1319, Bridge and hydrology research 1991.