Bridge Bearing Pads

About Bridge Bearing Pads

Pre-welded steel plates could be used inside elastomeric bearings for better performance and longer duration. The plates inside the rubber pads provide them with additional strength to prevent their overdrawing when pressed by heavy things such as a bridge. Steel plates also keep bearings in place when they get squished and prevent them from bulging too much.

In the test, there were steel plates sandwiched between the rubber pads and concrete blocks. The pads handle the heavy weight pushing down and handing sideways forces that come through when the bridge expands or contracts. In this manner, the bearing stays strong and balanced, limiting the bending or breaking of the steel plates.

Designing elastomeric bridge bearings requires different materials and configurations for optimal performance and long life. Among them, the incorporation of steel plates holds a special significance. For reinforcement of the rubber pads, these plates strengthen and stiffen such bearings to negotiate dynamically applied loads and movements in structural applications. The reason behind the use of those steel plates must first be understood to appreciate the overall functioning and reliability of elastomeric bearings used in the construction structure.