Elastomeric Bearings’ Role in Bridge Construction in South Africa

If you take a look at the various bridges that span the roads, rivers, and railways of our country, you might wonder how they are constructed and what ensures that they are safe to use at all times. Some of the major components of a bridge construction that make it resilient and reliable are elastomeric bearings. While bridges can appear to be sturdy and rigid, they must be flexible too and this can only be achieved by using elastomeric bearing pads along with other load-bearing and -distributing components.

The bearing pad is typically installed between the bridge beam and the vertical supports and piers. This ensures that weight imposed on the superstructure is properly distributed to all the substructures. They also ensure that just the right amount of movement is allowed to avoid over-stressing the structure of the bridge. Without these bearings in place, and combined with excess load and poor weight distribution, the bridge structure could fail and cause the collapse of the bridge.

Another important function of a bridge’s elastomeric bearing is to reduce general wear and tear on the structure’s materials. The reduced wear and tear directly translates to an extended lifespan for the bridge, which ultimately helps governments save on costs as bridges consequently do not need frequent repairs and do not have to be replaced often. Elastomeric bearings are required to provide exceptional strength and durability and they go through a variety of stringent tests before they are supplied to engineers and construction or infrastructure creation companies.

These bearings are required to deal with a variety of external stressors without failure and these include the likes of thermal expansion and contraction, shrinkage, creep, post-tensioning strain, live load deflections, and earth movement. They are very widely used and depended upon, as they are considered an economical solution for the building and securing of large-span bridges and structures.

At Technoslide, we stock and supply elastomeric bearings as part of our civil bearings range. We manufacture these bearings according to specification, making use of the most advanced and efficient methods and technology, and from the finest quality materials. We make use of low-friction PTFE and natural rubber to ensure the strength, flexibility, and durability of the product.

If you are looking for more information and advice on our range of elastomeric bearings and other civil bearings, simply contact us via email or telephone. One of our friendly and knowledgeable consultants will ensure that you can make an informed decision.