At Dartford Creek bridge, the abutments were supported on piled foundations with the bored piles extending through an upper soft layer of alluvium and founded in chalk at 24m depth. During construction of the 6m high approach embankment behind the abutment, measurements were made of lateral deformation of one of the piles and of the flow of soil between two adjacent piles. Lateral stresses acting on the abutment wall were also monitored using earth pressure cells. The field data were compared with predictions based on a design approach developed from centrifuge model test and numerical analyses. (A)
Samenvatting