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Design, Construction, and Performance of

Open Cell Sheet Pile Bridge Abutments

Dennis Nottingham P.E. I , Dempsey S. Thieman, P.E. 2, Kenton Braun, P.E. 3

Abstract

Recent innovations in bridge abutment design have resulted in the development of

open cell sheet pile bridge abutments. The open cell abutment structure is a cellular
flat sheet pile structure driven in a partial circular shape when viewed from above.
Open cell structures can easily resist very heavy loads such as extremely heavy drill
rig vehicles and module loads, ice attack from arctic river breakup events and high
seismic accelerations. Additionally, these abutments uniquely protect the bridge
structure from the effects of extreme river scour. These abutment structures are
easily constructed without the use of field welding, bolted connections or an
independent tieback system, making them less expensive and easier to construct.
The system functions as a membrane, relying solely on the resistance
developed between the soil and the sheet pile tail wall. The system does not rely on
toe embedment for stability. These structures have significant advantages over
typical spill through or reinforced earth abutment structures, especially in arctic
conditions.
Over one-hundred open cell sheet pile structures (fifty-nine of which are bridge
abutments) have been built throughout Alaska and the rest of the United States, some
in very active seismic zones. These structures have performed flawlessly in the
twenty years of their history resisting hundreds of earthquakes. Details of seismic
performance will be presented.
This paper reviews the general theory, adaptability, construction, and seismic
and ice load resistance of the open cell sheet pile abutment design. Examples and
history of constructed open cell sheet pile abutments for heavy duty private
installations and for public transportation systems will be presented.

I Member ASCE, President, Peratrovich, Nottingham & Drage, Inc., 1506 W. 36th
Ave., Anchorage, AK 99503; ph. (907) 561-1011
2 Member ASCE, Senior Engineer, Peratrovich, Nottingham & Drage, Inc., 1506 W.
36 th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99503; ph. (907) 561-1011; d [email protected]
3 Member ASCE, Senior Engineer, Peratrovich, Nottingham & Drage, Inc., 1506 W.
36 th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99503; ph. (907) 561-1011; k [email protected]

436

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 COLD REGIONSENGINEERING 437

Introduction

Historically, the most common application for flat sheet piles has been in closed
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circular bulkhead configurations in various geometrical arrangements. These types

of arrangements have proven costly for a number of reasons, such as: close
tolerances are required for construction; difficult to hold tolerances when hard
driving is encountered; filling a closed structure requires use of conveyors or bucket
equipment; and difficult access inside the cell makes compaction efforts expensive.
The open cell sheet pile concept is geometrically similar to the closed cell
configuration except that approximately one-fourth of the cell is removed, allowing
access to the interior of the cell for fill and compaction operations. The tail walls
anchor the face sheets and are buried within the abutment fill, which forms the
driving surface of the approach to the bridge. Reference Figure 1.

c~ S"X~TS

+ %
t"
Flat Sheet Pile
Abutment 4t

P - Pressure From Dead and Live Loads

P N - Normal Earth Pressure
- Friction Coefficient
~d
-+
P

4C~ SlfEETs

Figure I. Open Ceil Sheet Pile A b u t m e n t - Plan View

The flat sheet piles possess important characteristics such as extremely strong
interlocks, which allow hard driving and the insurance that they will remain intact.
The large structural mass of the interlock provides a substantial corrosion allowance
for structures with a long design life. Additionally, the bulbous interlocks act as
micro soil anchors providing additional soil / friction resistance in the tail walls.
(Reference Figure 2).
In many cases the use of open cell sheet pile abutments is more cost effective
than other types of bridge abutment structures. The rounded shape and vertical face
of the sheet pile abutments, provide maximum stream flow area for a given bridge
length, a significant improvement over spill-through abutments. This fact allows the
use of a shorter and less costly bridge superstructure.

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Research and Development

Peratrovich, Nottingham and Drage, Inc. (PN&D) began development of the open
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cell sheet pile abutment concept in 1980 in an effort to produce a low-cost earth
retaining structure capable of supporting excessive loads such as oil field modules
and large cranes. The idea was to use fiat sheet piles as vertical soil friction anchors
for a membrane wall system.

An absence of technical information on anchor wall resistance required the

development and implementation of a testing and analysis program. A test program
was initiated using full size sheet piles in a test box. The apparatus was capable of
testing various vertical soil pressures and different soil types. A series of tests were
conducted with varying soil types, densities and vertical pressures. Findings
confirmed that, due to the micro-anchor interlocks, the soil / sheet pile friction often
approaches twice that predicted by classical techniques, depending on compaction
(Campbell, 1986) and other soil properties. The classical analysis of tension
capacity of a steel plate in granular soil is given by:

T=2FA
Where: T = tension force
F = friction capacity = p. N
N =Pc Ko
Pc = vertical overburden pressure
Ko = coefficient of at rest lateral earth pressure (dependent on
compaction, etc)
~t = coefficient of soil/steel friction (It = tan 5, 6=soil/steel friction
angle)
A= area of one side of steel plate

The open cell system essentially functions as a horizontally tied membrane that
relies entirely on soil resistance against the tail walls to retain soil. The anchor pile
installed at the end of the tail wall provides additional resistance and lateral bending
stability. Pile embedment of face sheets is not a factor in wall strength or load
capacity.
/ 0.500 m Typ /

up to 13mm

Figure 2. Typical Flat Sheet Pile

In 1981 an opportunity arose to use the new open cell idea for the construction
of high-capacity bridge abutments at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska for development of a

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 COLD REGIONSENGINEERING 439

gravel causeway. The temporary construction bridge would be used to provide

access for gravel trucks. During the project, one million cubic yards of gravel were
hauled over the bridge in 1.3-MN (130-ton) B-70 trucks, proving the strength of this
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new abutment design.

Design Considerations

Factors in the design of an open cell sheet pile abutment include conditions such as
scour, ice conditions, earthquakes, phreatic water levels, geotechnical information
and soil strength, design loads and construction site conditions. By adjusting the
length and/or height of the buried tail walls, the open cell abutment system is
adaptable to nearly any set of load conditions.
The tail walls rely on the friction at the soil / sheet pile interface to resist the
pressures developed on the face of the cell. The amount of friction developed is
dependent on factors such soil type, friction angle, compaction, and depth of fill
above tail wall.
A brief discussion of major considerations in the design of open cell sheet pile
abutment follows:

Scour. Typically, one of the controlling design considerations for bridge abutment
design is the predicted depth of scour, a factor that is difficult to estimate accurately.
Because the open cell sheet pile design is anchored by the tail walls within the
roadway fill, the depth of toe embedment of the face sheets is not a factor in
abutment stability. The tip of the face sheets need to remain embedded only to
ensure the abutment fill does not escape from within the cell. This is a substantial
difference from tied-back or cantilever structures, which depend on toe embedment
for structural integrity. For structures located in very active and dynamic river
channels, a sheet pile wingwall or flank wall must be designed to prevent scour of
the roadway approach fill, protecting the soil which anchors tail wall from scour
action.
A spectacular example of the scour resistance of the open cell sheet pile
abutment design occurred during the 1999 breakup flood of the Kuparuk River, on
the North Slope of Alaska. A large flood event produced river bed scour in excess of
7.5 meters (25 feet), beyond the embedment depth of the face sheet pile. The
scouring action of the fast moving water removed most of the gravel fill from within
the sheet pile abutment, see Figure 3. The sheet pile settled vertically as the river
bed elevation progressed below the tip elevation of the sheets. The hydraulic forces
of the moving water and impacts from four-foot-thick ice floes had twisted and
somewhat deformed the originally cylindrical abutment shape. Although
aesthetically damaged, the structural shell of the sheet pile abutment acted to protect
the bridge abutment piles from additional scour and damage from ice floe impacts;
the bridge structure and foundation were unharmed by the event. Within a few days
after flood waters began to recede, the sheet pile abutment cell and wingwall cell
were refilled with gravel, compacted and open to all traffic including heavy drill rigs
that weigh over 19.6 MN (4,400 kips). This extreme event shows the resiliency,

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toughness and stability of the open cell sheet pile abutment design. Conventional
tie-back or cantilever walls would have totally failed in this event.
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Figure 3. Scour at Kuparuk River Bridge was repaired and fully functional within
days of damage.

Seismic Forces. Typically in areas of seismic activity, one of the controlling loads
in open cell abutment design is seismic acceleration. Classical wedge or slip circle
analysis techniques are used to check the mass stability of the structure. The area of
the sheet pile tail wall that extends beyond the failure plane acts to resist movement,
providing the safety factor against failure. The length of the tail walls can be
adjusted to provide the safety factor required.
Alaska is in an area of high seismic activity, and many open cell structures
have experienced significant ground motion acceleration from nearby earthquakes
with magnitudes of up to about 7.0 on the Richter scale. The only noticeable change
in the affected structures has been some uniform settlement likely due to soil
consolidation. Due to the flexibility of this membrane structure, the open cell sheet
pile abutments can easily handle differential settlements associated with large
contingency earthquakes.
Table 1 presents a summary of seismic rock accelerations experienced by open
cell structures to date. The maximum horizontal seismic rock accelerations
presented for each site are the average of the values calculated using four different
empirical methods, based upon earthquake magnitude, energy attenuation, and
distance from the epicenter. This technique was used to reduce the variability
between the calculation methods. The table of results present the horizontal rock

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acceleration for the site. Earth retaining structures will "feel" an acceleration
reduced by site effects such as soil type and depth to bedrock. In all cases, the
accelerations listed in Table 1 are less than the design acceleration for the projects,
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however with time, larger design magnitude earthquakes will occur, providing
additional information on seismic performance of the open cell structures.

Resistance to l e e Loads. Open cell sheet pile abutments have been installed in
numerous arctic locations where ice floes can reach 2 meters (6 feet) in thickness and
be driven by fast moving spring breakup flood waters. Due to the compacted fill
within the abutment cell, sheet pile damage from ice impact has not been observed
under normal conditions. The only exception to this, as discussed above, has been
cosmetic ice impact damage occurring when gravel fill within the abutment cell does
not exist. Unlike the zigzag shape of a cantilever "Z" sheet pile wall, the rounded
shape of the sheet pile cell presents a smooth, resilient surface which does not
"catch" the passing ice floes, reducing the possibility of local damage to a sheet pile
and deflecting ice forces from the structure.

Settlement a n d Weak Soils. Due to the flexible nature of this anchored membrane
structure, the open cell sheet pile abutment can adjust to extreme global and
differential settlements without threatening the stability of the structure. Some
projects have been designed for global settlements of over 4.5-meters (15-feet) in an
area of consolidating soils. Unlike tied back cantilever abutments where horizontal
tie rods can be sheared by the settling soils, the vertical sheet pile tail walls are
virtually unaffected by settling soils and actually gain strength with increased soil
density (through an increased effective friction angle).
In areas of weak soil, the length of the tail walls can be increased to reduce the
unit load to the soil. In addition, the anchor pile at the end of each tail wall provides
further resistance, increasing the factor of safety. Vibratory compaction with a
modified H-pile can also be used to increase the density and strength of subsurface
soils.

Construction

Construction of open cell abutments requires driving sheet piles some distance below
the ground surface. The use of a steel template, typically supported by temporary
pin piles, ensures the location, alignment and plumbness of the abutment. Standard
equipment for abutment installation includes a crane, earth-moving equipment and a
vibratory pile driving hammer. A small impact pile driving hammer may also be
necessary if difficult driving is encountered. Experience has shown that a typical
open cell sheet pile abutment can be installed in less than a week with a crew of
about four. Afler the sheet pile have been driven, standard earth-moving equipment
is used to place and compact the fill within the abutment.

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Figure 4. Open Cell Sheet Pile Abutment Under Construction

Special thermal modification techniques have been developed for sheet pile
construction in arctic permafrost conditions. Typically, a relatively thin and flexible
pile could not be driven through frozen soils. To address this problem, a thermal
modification technique was developed in which pilot holes are drilled full depth
around the perimeter of the abutment cell. The holes are then filled with hot water to
thermally modify the frozen subgrade. The sheet pile can then be installed using
conventional driving methods, (Christopherson, 1983).
The construction cost of an open cell sheet pile abutment is substantially (up to
fifty percent) less than that of other similar types of abutments. The most significant
cost difference is due to the fact that here are no walers, tiebacks or other
connections to install or inspect in the future. Designs requiring these items are not
only more costly, they are failure-prone due to long term corrosion and damage to
these critical structural elements that cannot be easily inspected or replaced.

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Sample Projects
Heavy Duty Oil Field and Mining Operation Bridge Abutments. Over forty open
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cell structures have been constructed since 1981 on the North Slope of Alaska. They
withstand extreme environmental conditions, operating temperatures that can vary up
to 49~ (120~ massive ice floes up to 2-meters (6-feet) thick, and heavy vehicle
crossings of up to 16.9 MN (3,800 kips).

Figure 5. Alaska North Slope Drill Rig Crossing the Kuparuk River Bridge

At a remote location on the Seward Peninsula fourteen open cell bridge

abutment structures were constructed in 1985 as part of the Red Dog Mine. These
structures withstand heavy traffic from mine dump trucks that haul about 11,700 MN
(1.3 M tons) of concentrate per year, and have performed flawlessly since
construction.

Public Transportation System Bridge Abutments. Several open cell bridge

abutment structures have been designed and constructed for the Alaska Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF). Although they do not
experience the types of heavy loads discussed previously, they are a tribute to open
cell design given their acceptance of a "new technology" by a governmental agency.
The Town Creek Bridge in Unalaska, built in 1983 and shown in Figure 6,
features the first open cell bridge abutment constructed for Alaska's state highway
system. Value engineering of the original design was allowed when it was

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 444 COLD REGIONSENGINEERING

discovered that, following the failure of a similar project, the original steel crib
abutment design was susceptible to scour. Working with an experienced contractor,
the new abutment was designed, approved and constructed without incident. It
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continues to function well today.

Figure 6. Town Creek Bridge in Unalaska, Alaska.

The First ADOT&PF Open Cell Sheet Pile Bridge Abutment, 1983.

Serious damage to the Southcentral Alaska transportation system was caused

by a severe rain-induced flood in September of 1995. A bridge along Knik River
Road near Palmer, Alaska, at Hunter Creek had been washed out. The ADOT&PF
installed a light-duty temporary bridge for emergency use and requested proposals
for the design and construction of a more substantial temporary bridge allowing the
design process of the permanent structure to proceed at a slower, more cautious pace.
Due to the local availability of materials including flat sheet pile and steel
girders, the temporary Hunter Creek Bridge was designed, constructed and open to
traffic in just seventeen days. Furthermore, the ADOT&PF tumed the "temporary
structure" into a permanent structure, negating the need for further design and
construction efforts. This example shows the adaptability of the open cell sheet pile
concept, resulting in savings of time and money to the public.

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 COLDREGIONSENGINEERING 445
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Figure 7. C Street Bridge Under Construction - Anchorage, Alaska

The C Street Bridge is a critical connection of urban arterial road to the

industrial railroad area near downtown Anchorage, Alaska. The project site has deep
deposits of soft clay and an environmentally sensitive salmon stream crossing. The
open cell sheet pile abutment was carefully designed to accommodate the sensitive
soils structure while providing an "environmentally clean" solution with minimal
stream-bank disturbance and with the ability to contain possibly contaminated soils
or roadway runoff from seeping into the fish-bearing stream.

Conclusion

The development of the open cell sheet pile abutment structure presents a cost-
effective solution that is very adaptable to various site conditions. This bridge
abutment structure provides many advantages over other structure types, such as
scour resistance, adaptable design, ease of construction, high strength and
elimination of buried structural components. These advantages, combined with cost
savings and a proven track record, provide a tested, innovative solution to traditional
bridge abutment structures.

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CONSTRUCTED NAME LOCATION EVENTS AMAx

1981 Tanana River Bulkhead Nenana, AK 37 O.08g
1982 West Fork Chulitna Bridge Colorado Station, AK 158 O.06g
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1983 Town Creek Bridge Dutch Harbor, AK 238 O.09g

1984 North Fork Anchor River Bridge Anchor Point, AK 299 O.08g
1985 Women's Bay Bulkhead Kodiak, AK 75 O.07g
1985 Women's Bay Bulkhead Extension Kodiak, AK 75 O.07g
1986 Valdez Small Boat Harbor Bulkheads Valdez, AK 96 O.09g
1986 Fish Creek Weir Coastal Trails Anchorage, AK 245 0.10g
1986 Grouse Creek Bridge Seward, AK 43 O.06g
1987 SMICDock Seward, AK 38 O.06g
1988 Commercial Fishermans Bulkhead Docl Valdez, AK 88 O.09g
1988 Portage Glacier Tour Dock Bulkhead Portage, AK 53 O.08g
1988 Seward Fish Dock Bulkhead Seward, AK 39 O.07g
1988 UniSea Bulkhead Dutch Harbor, AK 141 O.09g
1989 Captains Bay Bulkhead Dutch Harbor, AK 128 O.07g
1989 Unalaska Marine Center Unalaska, AK 130 O.07g
1990 Ship Creek Point Dock Anchorage, AK 211 O.lOg
1990 C Street Bridge Anchorage, AK 203 O.lOg
1990 King Cove Deep-Water Port King Cove, AK 58 O.07g
1992 King Cove Breach Bridge Abutments King Cove, AK 47 O.05g
1992 Salamatof Seafoods Dock Kenai, AK 126 O.08g
1993 King Cove Inner Harbor Dock King Cove, AK 37 O.05g
1993 American President Lines Dock Dutch Harbor, AK 88 O.07g
1993 North Star Barge Dock Anchorage, AK 141 O.08g
1994 Chevron Bulkhead Wall Nikiski, AK 88 O.07g
1994 Chevron Bulkhead Wall Extension Nikiski, AK 88 O.07g
1995 Unocal Bulkhead Wall Kenai, AK 80 O.08g
1995 Minch Dock Anchorage, AK 100 O.08g
1995 Homer Spit Dock Homer, AK 48 O.08g
1995 Hunter Creek Bridge Palmer, AK 116 0.10g
1995 Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery Facility Valdez, AK 47 O.09g
1996 Port Graham Dock Value Engineering Port Graham, AK 46 0.11g
1997 Cornelius Pass Railroad Portland, OR 5 O.03g
1998 North Star Dock Extension Anchorage, AK 44 O.08g
1999 Hawks Beach Erosion Control System Cook Inlet, AK 32 O.07g
1999 Port MacKenzie Knik Arm, AK 11 O.05g

EVENTS = the number of times the rock acceleration at the site was computed to be greater than
or equal to 0.02g (assumed to be the threshold value for earthquake design) since the
structure was built.
AMAX= the average of computed maximum horizontal rock acceleration at the project site
during the lifetime of the structure through Aug 15, 2001, using methods presented by
Boore et al (1993), Nottingham (1970), and Youngs et al (1988).

T a b l e 1. B r i e f S e i s m i c H i s t o r y o f E x i s t i n g O p e n C e l l S h e e t P i l e S t r u c t u r e s

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References
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Boore, D.M., Joyner, W.B., and Fumal, T.E., 1993. "'Estimation of Response Spectra
and Peak Accelerations from Western North American Earthquakes: An Interim
Report". USGS Open-File Report 93-509.

Campbell R., Christopherson A., and Nottingham D., 1986. Use of Fins on Piles for
Increased Tension Capacity, State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities Research Report.

Christopherson A. and Nottingham, D., 1983. "Pipeline Supported Structures on Driven

Piles in Permafrost: State-of-the-Art," ASCE Conference on Pipelines in Adverse
Environments II, Pipeline Division, San Diego, California,.

Nottingham, D., 1970. Seismic attenuation for Trans-Alaska Pipeline design based on
USGS Circular 672, "Ground Motion Valuesfor Use in the Seismic Design of the Trans-
Alaska Pipeline System ".

Youngs et al, 1988, as referenced in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering by S.L.

Kramer (Prentice Hall, 1995).

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