Numerical Modeling of Bridge Approach Settlement with Foundation-Embankment Interaction

Bridge approach settlement is one of the major problems facing the transportation agencies responsible for road construction and maintenance in the United States and in many other countries of the world. Consolidation settlement of clayey foundation soils caused by embankment construction and the settlement of embankment itself due to its own weight and vehicular traffic load are few major contributors to resulting differential settlement between the bridge approach and the bridge abutment. This paper presents a public domain interactive software developed by the authors for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the analysis of bridge approach settlements. Nonlinear finite element method (FEM), including infinite element concept, is employed. Modified Cam-clay model is employed to idealize the nonlinear soil behavior. The software is found to be an efficient tool for the analysis of settlement potentials of new as well as existing bridge approaches. An attempt is made to investigate the interaction between the embankment and foundation with respect to a specific approach site in Oklahoma.