What are the correlations between the characteristics of rubber bearings for highway engineering and their application scenarios?
The characteristics of rubber bearings used in highway engineering determine the applicable scenarios. Different types of rubber bearings, with their unique features, play a key role in corresponding application scenarios. There is a close connection among them, as follows:
Slab Rubber Bearings
Characteristics: Simple structure, low cost, certain elasticity and deformation capacity, convenient installation, and relatively small load-bearing capacity.
Application Scenarios: Due to their low cost and easy installation, they are suitable for highway bridges with medium and small spans, such as rural highway bridges and urban branch road bridges. The loads on these bridges are relatively small, and the requirements for the load-bearing capacity of the bearings are not particularly high. The performance of slab rubber bearings can meet their basic usage requirements. At the same time, their good elasticity and deformation capacity can also adapt to a certain degree of deformation of medium and small-span bridges caused by factors such as temperature changes and vehicle loads during normal use.
Pot Rubber Bearings
Characteristics: High load-bearing capacity, able to adapt to large horizontal displacements and girder end rotations, good durability, but relatively complex structure and high cost.
Application Scenarios: Suitable for highway bridges with large spans and trunk highway bridges with heavy traffic and large loads. Large-span bridges require bearings that can bear huge vertical loads, and the high load-bearing capacity of pot rubber bearings can meet this requirement. In addition, large-span bridges will generate large horizontal displacements and girder end rotations due to factors such as temperature changes, concrete shrinkage and creep, and vehicle braking forces. The large displacement and good rotation performance of pot rubber bearings enable them to adapt to these deformations. For example, large bridges spanning rivers and valleys often use pot rubber bearings.
Spherical Rubber Bearings
Characteristics: Strong multi-directional rotation ability, able to adapt to large displacements, uniform force-bearing, good seismic performance, high durability, but high requirements for installation accuracy.
Application Scenarios: Commonly used in special-structured highway bridges such as curved bridges and skew bridges, as well as bridges in earthquake-prone areas. Curved bridges and skew bridges will produce complex deformations when under stress. The multi-directional rotation and large displacement adaptation ability of spherical rubber bearings can well meet their deformation requirements and ensure the safety and stability of the bridge structure. In earthquake-prone areas, bridges need to have good seismic performance. The seismic performance of spherical rubber bearings can effectively absorb and dissipate seismic energy and reduce the damage of earthquakes to bridges. In addition, for some important bridge projects with high requirements for structural stability and durability, spherical rubber bearings are also selected because of their characteristics of uniform force-bearing and high durability.
Polytetrafluoroethylene Skateboard Rubber Bearings
Characteristics: Based on ordinary slab rubber bearings, a polytetrafluoroethylene skateboard is pasted on the surface. The friction coefficient is small, which can meet the large horizontal displacement requirements of bridges, and at the same time, it retains the basic characteristics of slab rubber bearings.
Application Scenarios: Suitable for highway bridges that require large horizontal displacements, such as bridges in areas with large temperature differences. In these areas, temperature changes will cause large expansion and contraction deformations of the bridge. The low friction coefficient and large horizontal displacement ability of polytetrafluoroethylene skateboard rubber bearings can make the bridge expand and contract more smoothly and reduce the structural internal forces caused by restricted displacement. In addition, for some bridges that need to frequently bear the braking force and traction force of vehicles, this type of bearing can also better adapt to their force characteristics.
The characteristics of rubber bearings used in highway engineering are important bases for selecting their application scenarios. According to the specific conditions of the bridge, reasonably selecting suitable rubber bearings can ensure the safety, stability, and normal use of the bridge.
