Difference Between Pier and Abutment

What Is Pier?

Important Point

This Piers provide vertical supports for spans at intermediate of different points and perform both main functions: transferring vertical superstructure loads to the foundations and resisting horizontal forces acting on this bridge.

Although piers are designed to resist vertical loads, it is becoming common to design piers into resisting high lateral loads caused by seismic events. Even in some low seismic areas, designers are paying more attention to this ductility aspect of the design.

These Piers are predominantly constructed using reinforced concrete. This Steel, to a lesser degree, is also used for piers. The Steel tubes filled with concrete columns have gained more attention recently.

The piers or columns for conventional bridges, such as grade separations, overcrossing, overheads, underpasses, and simple river crossings. Reinforced concrete columns will be discussed in detail, while steel and composite columns will be briefly discussed.

Substructures for arch, suspension, segmental, cable-stayed, and movable bridges are excluded from the substructures for some of these special types of bridges.

Types of Piers

The main two types of piers are as follows.

#1. Solid Piers.

Solid Masonry Piers
Solid Reinforced Concrete Piers

#2. Open Pier.

Cylindrical Piers
Column Piers or Column Bent
Pile Pier or Pile Bents
Trestle Pier or Trestle Bent
Masonry Piers
Mass Concrete Piers
Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Piers
Fixed Piers
Hammerhead or Cantilevered Piers
Special Shaped Bent
V-Shaped Concrete Pier

Also, read: What Is Raft Foundation | Types of Footing | Detail of Raft Footing

What Is Abutment?

A bridge abutment is a substructure that supports one terminus of the superstructure of a bridge and, at the same time, laterally supports the embankment which serves as an approach to the bridge.

For a river bridge, the abutment also protects the embankment from scouring of the stream. Bridge abutments can be made of masonry plain concrete or reinforced concrete.

Types of Abutments

5 types of abutments are as follows.

Closed Abutment
Stub or Perched Abutment
Pedestal or Spill-through Abutment
Integral End Bents
Mechanically Stabilized Abutment

Sr.No.	Detail	Pier	Abutment
1	Support	The intermediate supports for the superstructure of a multi-span bridge are known as piers.	The end supports of a bridge superstructure are known as abutments.
2	Material	A pier essentially consists of two parts i.e. a column shaft and the foundation.	Abutments are built either with brick masonry, stone masonry, mass concrete, precast concrete blocks or RCC.
3	Function	The function of a pier is to transmit the load from the bridge to the underneath sub-soil.	Abutments support the ends of the bridge and transfer the loads from the superstructure into the ground.
4	Types	Types of Piers • Solid Piers • Open Pier	Types of Abutments • Closed Abutment • Stub or Perched Abutment • Pedestal or Spill-through Abutment • Integral End Bents • Mechanically Stabilized Abutment

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