Well Foundations for Bridges are Obsolete!!!

S.A.Reddi, Fellow Indian National Academy of Engineering

Introduction

Bridge foundations are the most complicated and difficult to construct. Unexpected difficulties cause delays, extra costs and revision of designs due to altered situations. Loss of human lives was normal rather than exception. In the Sixties, more than 50 lives were lost due to the accident during pneumatic sinking operations for well foundations of Mahanadi bridge in Orissa. For Kali Bridge at Karwar in Karnataka, pneumatic sinking was required for inspection of the founding surface of the wells. Apart from delays and extra costs, large number of workers suffered caisson disease. Due to difficulties in well sinking, two contractors left the job and the third took more than 5 years to complete the well foundations. Alternative construction techniques and equipments have emerged. With the introduction of advanced piling equipment, large diameter piles up to 3.5 m dia are easily realized at a fast rate, with a significant reduction in cost and material quantities. Bridges elsewhere are now constructed with pile foundations.

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