Sir,

Sub: Observations on POT/PTFE Bearings of Paira main bridge

Ref: LRBC/A/2018/03/35 dated 30th March 2018.

We have verified design and drawings of POT and PTFE bearings and given below
our observations in following paras for your necessary action.

i. POT BEARING BLPZ-36500KN GUIDED

ii. POT BEATING BLPZ -8000 KN-FREE SLIDING
iii. POT BEARING BLPZ -2920 KN-FIXED
iv. POT BEARING BLPZ -2920 KN-GUIDED
v. POT BEARING BLPZ -36500 KN-FREE SLIDING

Corrections in all design notes and drawings.

1. In design and drawings sealing rings width shall be 19 mm instead of 10 mm wide as

per AASHTO-LRFD-cl.14.7.4.5.2. , accordingly depth of ring will be changed to 4 mm.
And also for rectangular size rings there must be minimum three rings. Please
revise. Brass rings of Grade ASTM B36 shall be provided.

2. Bearing top plate thickness shall be mentioned in design note and drawings

3. Stainless steel plate thickness shall be mentioned in design note and drawings

4. Backing plate (plates in contact with concrete) at top and bottom of bearing details
shall be mentioned in design note and drawings.

5. In design note for checking POT base , POT wall, POT height horizontal forces must
be Horizontal Load(Hu)or 15% of max vertical load(vu) at service as per AASHTO-
LRFD cl14.7.4.7. This check shall be shown wherever required.

6. In drawings thickness of POT wall, POT height, base plate thickness, base plate
width, piston height, piston diameter, piston ring diameter, piston ring
height/thickness, top plate thickness, backing plate details like width, length and
thickness shall be shown. Guided bar width, length and thickness shall also be shown
in the drawings. Pease reconcile.
7. Bearing depiction sketches in design note and drawing are not similar in case of
guided bearings.

8. In the “POT bearing BLPZ -36500 KN GUIDED”- drawing , length of top plate shall be
1600 mm minimum. Please revise in the drawings.

9. In the “POT bearing BLPZ -36500 KN GUIDED”- drawing which is a FREE bearing as
per design. As there is no horizontal force acting in the bearing, guided bar will
create additional restraint. Please remove if it is not required.

10. Revise the sizes of BLPZ-36500 KN and BLPZ-8000 KN of vertical bearing as the
bearing do not comfortably fit into available space as per drawings. There will be a
problem to provide jacks in case of bearing replacement. In BOQ item 2.22, bearing
type mentioned as POT/PTFE or spherical bearing. Please note that spherical
bearings are less in size, hence can be easily be accommodated where as POT/PTFE
bearing size proposed is 1600 mm/1800 mm and difficult to adjust in available
space. In view of above Spherical Bearings shall be provided.