An overview of integral abutments: Current practices, field monitoring and deck replacement measures

Oct 23, 2026

Integral abutment bridges connect superstructure and substructure through integral continuity, typically using an integral cap supported by piles to accommodate thermal loads and movements. Key advantages include the absence of expansion joints, lowering maintenance and construction costs, but analysis can be challenging due to soil-structure interaction and cyclic thermal effects. The study synthesizes field performance data and examines deck replacement requirements, offering recommendations for deck removal and preparation based on analytical models and reported DOT practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

1. Introduction

2. Review of existing investigations and current practices

Bridge Structures 18 (2022) 27–43 DOI:10.3233/BRS-220196 IOS Press 27 An overview of integral abutments: Current practices, ﬁeld monitoring and deck replacement measures Rosa Vasconeza , Aliaksei Kustaub and Husam Najmb,∗ a Department of Civil Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, CA, USA b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA Abstract. The use of integral abutments in bridges goes back many years to the late 1930’s in the United States. Over the years, integral bridges became more popular as more and more states built those bridges and more engineers became familiar with their design and construction. These bridges are being built in Europe since the 1980’s. An integral abutment bridge acts as a frame structure with a continuity connection between the superstructure and the substructure. The substructure is typically an integral cap supported on single row of piles that provides ﬂexibility to accommodate thermal loads and displacements. The main advantage of integral abutment bridges is that they are built without expansion joints which eliminates maintenance costs and reduces construction costs. Because of the interaction between the soil and the integral abutment under the applied loads and the cyclic nature of thermal loads, the analysis and design of integral abutment bridges can be, in some cases, challenging especially when the designs falls outside the geometrical limits set by existing standards. This overview focus on ﬁeld performance data reported in the literature and interpretation of this data. IT also highlights the needs for more test data during construction and for long term performance under cyclic thermal movements. Deck replacement requirements in integral abutments were investigated using analytical models and recommendations for deck replacement preparations are provided. Keywords: Integral abutment, soil-structure Interaction, monolithic, stiffness 1. Introduction Integral abutment bridges became a popular choice of bridge construction for state DOT’s as engineers gained more experience in their design and construction and more information was disseminated to the engineering community such as the 2013 TRBSHRP 2 Report S2-R19A-RW-2 [1] and other documents as well as publication of more research on the subject. Their acceptance stems from the fact that no expansion joints or bearings exist within the bridge or at its ends thus reducing construction ∗Corresponding author. Husam Najm, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, University, 500 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. E-mail: [hnajm@soe.rutgers.edu](hnajm@soe.rutgers.edu). costs and maintenance costs, disruption to trafﬁc, and lessens discoloration of substructure components at joint locations. While these are signiﬁcant advantages of integral abutment bridges, there are some challenges in their design such as criteria for maximum length and maximum skew, torsional forces in horizontally integral curved bridges, connection to the approach slabs, connections to wing walls in highly skewed abutments, the interaction between the abutment walls and the soil behind them, and the potential of ratcheting of the backﬁll after many cycles or bridge expansion and contraction. Semiintegral abutment and seamless bridges are other types of jointless bridges presented in the literature [1] . In semi-integral abutment bridges, the superstructure and the abutment wall are cast as an end ISSN 1573-2487/$35.00 © 2022 – IOS Press. All rights reserved. 28 R. Vasconez et al. / An overview of integral abutments diaphragm that sits on expansion bearing. In the seamless bridge, longitudinal movements are accommodated by a transition slab supported on small pilesand secondary slab. The transition slab is designed asa controlling element to accommodate and minimize longitudinal movements so that no expansion joints exist where when

FAQs

What makes an integral abutment bridge different from jointed bridges?

It acts as a frame structure with continuity between the superstructure and substructure, and it is built without expansion joints, eliminating maintenance associated with those joints.

Why can the analysis and design of integral abutment bridges be challenging?

Because of soil-structure interaction and the cyclic nature of thermal loads, designs may become difficult when they fall outside the geometrical limits of existing standards.

What deck replacement topics are addressed for integral abutments?

Deck replacement requirements are investigated using analytical models, and recommendations for deck replacement preparations are provided, including guidance aligned with the 2013 TRB SHRP-2 deck removal recommendations.

Oct 23, 2026

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