Evaluation of Low-Temperature Test Methods for Elastomeric Bridge Bearings

Elastomeric bearings have had an exemplary performance record over the past 40 years. Recently, increased testing requirements have been imposed that now make the testing of elastomeric bearings one of the major costs in constructing the supports. Currently, four low-temperature tests are required for elastomeric bearings. It is not clear whether all these tests are necessary or in fact even related to the actual performance of an elastomeric bridge bearing since some of these tests have been developed for other materials. Research was undertaken to evaluate the various tests and to determine whether they are important or even related to the performance of the bridge bearing. Tests were conducted on full-size natural rubber and neoprene bearings at low temperature subjected to compressive and shear forces, and factors such as testing speed and thermal conditioning were evaluated. As a result of the research, some test methods and performance requirements were found to have little impact on the bearing behavior, and others were overly conservative.