Abutment structures
AssigneePBC International, Inc.
InventorsVijay Chandra, John Sang Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Abutment and bridge designs include a bridge superstructure and abutment wherein the abutment has a vertical portion of a backwall that can be fixedly joined to the end face of the bridge superstructure without an interdisposed expansion joint. A downward facing surface of the bridge superstructure can be fixedly joined to an upward facing surface of the abutment, or alternatively, a bearing pad may be disposed therebetween. The abutment may further comprise a backwall made from a plurality of panels fixedly joined to a plurality of supporting piles. The abutments and bridge superstructure may be made substantially from composite materials including recycled structural composite and other thermoplastics.
Claims20
An abutment having structural members made of a composite material and suitable to support a superstructure of a bridge, the abutment comprising:
- a plurality of piles made of a composite plastic material and driven into the ground along an edge of material to be retained;
- a pile cap affixed to, and supported on top of, said plurality of piles, said pile cap and said plurality of piles adapted to support said superstructure;
- and
- a plurality of horizontal abutment panels made of a composite plastic material and fixedly joined to said piles and disposed adjacent one another, said horizontal abutment panels and piles adapted to retain said material.
An abutment having structural members made of a composite material, the abutment comprising:
- a plurality of piles made of a composite plastic material and driven into the ground along an edge of material to be retained;
- and
- a plurality of horizontal abutment panels made of a composite plastic material and fixedly joined to said piles adjacent one another to retain said material.
A bridge having structural members made of a composite material, the bridge comprising:
- a first abutment including one or more structural members made of a composite plastic material;
- and
- a second abutment including:
- a plurality of piles made of a composite plastic material and driven into the ground along an edge of material to be retained;
- a pile cap affixed to, and supported on top of, said plurality of piles, said pile cap and plurality of piles adapted to support a superstructure of said bridge;
- and
- a plurality of horizontal abutment panels made of a composite plastic material and fixedly joined to said plurality of piles and disposed adjacent one another, said plurality of horizontal abutment panels and piles adapted to retain said material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.