Bridge & Bearing Engineers

pot bearings

Introduction

Pot Bearings are structural bearings which support vertical and horizontal loads and permit limited rotation about any horizontal axis and have, therefore, an extremely wide range of applications. They can be designed and manufactured for practically any load in a temperature range between 20C and 50C and have actually been tested for vertical loads up to 10.000 tons. Our company, BBE, has the special "know-how" and hands-on or of many years of practical and theoretical experience in the field of Bridge Bearings. Throughout the years we have experienced the problems of designers, engineers on site and contractors and thus are in the most favourable position to resolve the problems in the most appropriate way. BBEs Technical Department has engineers with the relevant expertise and experience to assist with the selection of the appropriate bearing for a given application as well as providing the best solution for the clients specific requirements. In order to resolve any special problems our clients may be faced with, we have developed special software for optimising the design of Pot Bearings and other bearing types. We are also equipped with sophisticated FE-software to successfully resolve any unusual problems that may arise. Since we appreciate the importance of simplicity, clarity and ease of use, we reiterate that we can offer both: the simple, standardized series of products and also the highly sophisticated customised solutions for specific problems. This brochure is intended to provide a quick and expedient reference and guide for designers, engineers and contractors alike.

Basic Types

PTFE:

Basically, pot bearings are very flat point rocker bearings which can accommodate rotation in all directions with relatively low eccentricity. The rotation should normally not exceed 0,006 rad. (In case of a rotation over 0,01 rad upto 0,02 rad special rubber pads can be used.) For the basic requirements, which account for almost 80% of the total quantity, we has designed a complete range of Pot Bearings which can be adapted to accommodate all allowable concrete pressures by using distribution plates to spread the vertical load to the desired value. These distribution plates could also be procured locally. Additionally, this solution provides more flexibility by simplifying replacement and temporary bearing designs. The philosophy behind our design principles is to combine maximum flexibility with maximum economy. The design makes use of modern techniques, such as FE calculations and analysis of test results to find the technically best solution whilst also taking into account the economic considerations. For our principal range of Pot Bearings we use the following design parameters. The bearings are designed for SLS (Serviceability Limit State) allowing for material factor of 1.05 on the yield limit and ULS (Ultimate Limit State) with a factor of 1,1 on the ultimate strength.The materials used for the different components of the bearing are the following:

Pot, Piston and Sliding Plate: All remaining steel items: Elastomeric pad: Stainless steel sheets:

S355J2G3 (ST52) S235J2G3 (ST37)

Fy= 355 N/mm 2 ;Fu= 510N/mm 2 Fy= 235 N/mm 2 ; Fu= 360N/mm 2

Natural rubber acording to BS 5400, Section 9.2 Stainless steel acording to BS 5400, Section 9.2 Bridge bearing quality of white virgin dimpled PTFE, thickness 4,5 to 6 mm.

The maximum load capacity (ULS) of the bearing is reached if one item in the bearing reaches the ultimate stress. The SLS capacity is limited by allowable deformations of the overall bearing. If we do not receive all necessary load combinations, we assume the values listed in the table below.

Load Case Vmax Vmin Dead load Hmax

vert. Load V Rv 0.5*Rv 0.7*Rv 0.7* Rv

Hres 0.1*Rv 0.15*Rv 0.05*Rv 0.2*Rv

Remarks Hres varies 15% of Rv

for concrete bridges Hres varies 15% of Rv

Note: defined items take precedence over the assumed values

Designs

Schematic Pot Bearings

Sliding plate

Stainless steel PTFE Piston Seal Elastomeric pad Pot

PF

Fixed Pot Bearings (PF)

These are immovable bearings which can accommodate horizontal forces.

PG or PT

Guided Pot Bearings (PG or PT)

These bearings are movable in one direction (longitudinally-PG or transversally-PT) and can accommodate horizontal forces perpendicular to this direction. They are combined with a guided sliding device. This device consists of a guide and a PTFE sheet with a mating sliding surface of a stainless steel sheet attached to a sliding plate which can be on the lower side against the substructure or on the top against the bridge deck..

PM

Multidirectional Pot Bearings (PM)

These bearings are movable in all direction but cannot accommodate horizontal forces. They are combined with a multidirectional sliding device. This device consists of a PTFE sheet with a mating sliding surface of a stainless steel sheet attached to a sliding plate which can be on the lower side against the substructure or on the top against the bridge deck.

I LM

Types: 8

ILM-Bearings

Incremental launching for bridges combines the advantage of on-site concrete with prefabricated elements. Bearings for incremental launched bridges have a dual function: Firstly they provide low friction sliding surfaces over piers as the superstructure is pushed during construction. Thereafter they become permanent bearings for the completed bridge.

ILM - Fixed Pot Bearing ILM - Guided / Transversal Pot Bearing ILM - Multidirectional Pot Bearing

Quality Control
BBE Pot Bearings are based on the latest developments in bearing engineering and are made with high-grade machined components. BBE and all their sub-suppliers are subject to a strict qualitycontrol system as a part of the ISO 9001/EN 29002 certification. The quality of the BBE bearing production is continuously monitored by independent testing laboratories and internal quality control complies with established international standards. Quality control procedures and other verifications are applied throughout the production phase for materials, workmanship and the finished product to ensure that the components satisfy the relevant standards:

Materials

Workmanship

Finished product

MATERIALS

At the order stage the quality requirements are specified and prior to delivery a works certificate to DIN 3.1.B or equivalent is issued. Upon arrival in the works the materials are checked against the agreed specifications.

WORKMANSHIP Each bearing is monitored by a control sheet where all checked dimensions are recorded with date and signature of the responsible quality control engineer. The quality control system is organised in accordance with ISO REQUIREMENTS.

FINISHED PRODUCT For new type of bearings,tests are performed both in-house and externally at official testing laboratories.

In addition, BBE engineers are available to provide technical advice relative to quality standards of the interfaces, bearing installation, cement joint forming, bearing plinth design, etc.

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