New York State Department of Transportation's Experience with Integral Abutment Bridges

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has been using integral abutment bridges since the late 1970's. Since that time, the design methodology and details have been modified several times to improve performance. Semi-Integral abutments were introduced in 1998. Approximately 450 integral and semi-integral abutment bridges have been constructed in New York and thus far, their in-service performance has been excellent. They are the preferred abutment type for NYSDOT. This paper examines the evolution of the design and construction practices and explains the reasons for the modifications.