Shaking table tests on bridge abutments reinforced by EPS and geogrid

This study is aimed at improving the seismic stability of bridge abutments. To study the effects of the combined use of a block of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and geogrid, a series of 1 g shaking table tests were conducted on a reduced-scale model of a cantilever-type bridge abutment and its backfill soil. The experiment results indicated that the base sliding and tilting of the wall can be further reduced by partly replacing the backfill soil with blocks of EPS, in combination with the use of the middle-height geogrid. Moreover, the relative settlement of the backfill soil at the interface with the wall could be reduced by the combined use of EPS and geogrid. Furthermore, the resultant normal force and rotational moment acting on the wall from the backfill soil during excitation also became small for the reinforced wall with both EPS and geogrid.