INFLUENCE OF SHEAR ZONE ON STABILITY OF A BRIDGE PIER FOUNDATION

Abstract

The rocks present at site indicate presence of lower Shiwalik rocks with alteration j of sandstone clayey rocks. The area including the bridge site presents a hilly terrain A forming hills and longitudinal valleys running parallel and drained by river Satluj through the small streams. The sandstone bed also contains thin intercalations of shale, which are very soft in nature. A thin siltstone band of thickness 2m is also present shoeing punching and swelling. The piers are situated on left and right bank of river. Centre to centre distance between piers will be 185 m. A finite element program ABAQUS 6.9 STANDARD is used to analysis the pier-rock foundation interaction using 3-D equivalent continuum approach. In the present work, deformation modulus at different reduced level (R.L) is also determined. A comparative analysis is made using linear elastic and elasto-plastic response of pier-rock foundation. There is a wide shear zone very close to the foundation of one of the pier. So, the effect of shear zone on stability of bridge-pier foundation is studied in present dissertation work.