Road infrastructure primarily consists of three structures — road embankments, bridges and tunnels. For a long lasting bridge construction, the choice of structural components is highly crucial.

Pot bearings happen to be one of the essential substructure components that are a necessity of modern infrastructure projects. It was first used in 1958 in the bridges of Germany and after years of development it has become the most widely used metal bearings in the bridges worldwide.

To learn more about its importance in today’s construction projects, let’s dive into the ways this device helps.

 

What Is A Pot Bearing?

 

Pot bearings are a specialised type of bridge bearings that has an elastomer inside a steel pot and presses the elastomer’s top with a steel plate. This elastomer operates as viscous fluid inside a hydraulic jack while the top steel plate works like the piston. The bearing is engineered to hold substantially high pressure and allow slight rotations, movements under homogeneous compression stress.

 

Pot Bearing Advantages

 

With its ability to carry extremely high loads and many more accompanied attributes, pot bearing offers a range of perks. The most obvious ones are:

 

Boosts Structural Integrity

 

They are a number one solution to enhance the structural integrity of bridges. As they are engineered to carry the large loads and movements, they perfectly play the role of weight distribution and stress reduction on bridge components.

Pot bearings are also able to take in the vertical and horizontal movements, thanks to their unique blend of steel and elastomeric materials. This results in offering the much needed support for the bridge structures making them stable and secure.

Furthermore, they can also allow for vibration and impact absorption that subsequently results in extending the life of bridge structures. They are one of the best bridge support solutions available. 

 

Seismic-Resistant Performance

 

Pot bearing has the ability of withstanding dynamic forces that occur during an earthquake. Hence, using them in areas that are likely to encounter seismic activity is a precautionary decision.

With their seismic-resistant performance, they can efficiently empower bridges to flex and absorb shockwaves. They isolate the bridge structure from the surface motion as a result reducing the risk of sustaining catastrophic damage.

Engineers are able to double up protectiveness of bridge structures by integrating pot bearing with seismic-resistant infrastructure elements.  

 

Versatile Design to Meet Diverse Project Needs

 

Pot bearing is available in various types of configurations that allow them to meet the needs of diverse designs. Some of the common types are:

  • Fixed Bearings: Can transfer both vertical and horizontal movements while allowing rotation.
  • Free-Sliding Bearings: It is movable in all directions.
  • Guided-Sliding Bearings: It is movable in only one direction.

 

The flexibility in design allows engineers the freedom to come up with customised solutions for diverse projects. For example, in complex bridge structures such as curved bridges, fixed pot bearings are used to accommodate its unique patterns of movements.

We at Dutco Tennant distribute high-quality pot bearings that can carry extremely high loads of more than 50.000 kN. Invest in these modern day bridge construction essentials and contribute to long-lasting infrastructure development projects.