Bridge Laminated Rubber Bearing Elastomeric Pad for Bridge Support

The bridge rubber bearing is a laminated rubber bearing formed by alternately layering multiple sheets of natural rubber or chloroprene rubber with reinforcing steel plates, bonded through high-temperature vulcanization. As a key load transfer node between the bridge superstructure and substructure, its core functions are to bear vertical loads, accommodate horizontal displacement and rotational deformation of the beam, and uniformly transfer loads to the substructure.
This product is a type of elastomeric bearing pad, meeting displacement demands through shear deformation of rubber while achieving high vertical stiffness by using steel plates to restrain lateral expansion. As a bridge bearing pad, it combines rigidity with flexibility, making it a widely adopted solution for small to medium span highway and railway bridges.

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Customized
Brand:
MingHeng

Structure Composition

The bridge bearing pad consists of the following core components:

Rubber Layers: Made from natural rubber or chloroprene rubber, providing elastic deformation capacity to accommodate horizontal shear displacement and rotation. Chloroprene rubber offers superior weather and ozone resistance for regions with more complex environmental conditions.

Reinforcing Steel Plates: Quality steel sheets embedded between rubber layers in this rubber bearing for bridge applications, restraining the lateral bulging of rubber under vertical compression and significantly enhancing vertical load capacity. The number and thickness of steel layers are determined based on design loads.

Protective Cover: Rubber covering layers on the top and bottom surfaces, protecting internal steel plates from environmental erosion while increasing friction with the beam soffit and bearing pad stone.

PTFE Sliding Layer (Optional): Some laminated elastomeric bearing products feature a polytetrafluoroethylene sliding surface bonded to the top, used in conjunction with a stainless steel sheet to further reduce horizontal sliding resistance.

Functional Principle

Vertical Load Bearing: When superstructure loads transfer to the laminated rubber bearing, the rubber layers compress vertically. The steel plates restrain lateral flow of the rubber, placing it under triaxial compression and achieving high vertical stiffness and load capacity.

Horizontal Displacement: When the beam undergoes horizontal displacement, the rubber layers in this elastomeric bearing pad undergo shear deformation, with all layers jointly accommodating the horizontal movement. Low horizontal stiffness allows the beam to expand and contract freely, relieving thermal stresses.

Rotational Accommodation: When the beam end rotates, the bridge bearing pad accommodates angular deformation through non-uniform compression of the rubber layers, ensuring full contact between the beam soffit and bearing to avoid localized stress concentration.

Performance Characteristics

Reliable Load Bearing: The composite structure of the bridge rubber bearing gives it high vertical load capacity, with stable and controllable deformation under rated design loads.
Favorable Displacement Accommodation: The low shear modulus of rubber allows this rubber bearing for bridge structures to achieve large shear displacement with relatively low horizontal reaction force, effectively protecting pier and abutment structures.
Vibration Damping: The rubber material in this laminated rubber bearing possesses certain damping properties, absorbing some vibration energy generated by vehicle traffic and providing auxiliary seismic mitigation.
Aging Resistance and Durability: The reinforcing steel plates are completely encapsulated within the elastomeric bearing pad, protected from external moisture and salt spray. Chloroprene rubber varieties maintain stable performance under UV exposure and ozone environments.

Applications

Laminated elastomeric bearings are widely used in various small to medium span bridge structures:

Highway bridges: bridge rubber bearings for superstructure support of small to medium span simply supported girder bridges, continuous girder bridges, and ramp bridges
Railway bridges: beam end support for conventional and high-speed railway bridges with small to medium spans
Urban viaducts: elastomeric bearing pads placed between piers and girders of urban expressways and light rail viaducts
Interchanges: bridge bearing pads at deformation joints where ramp bridges connect with mainline bridges
Pedestrian bridges: rubber bearings for bridge applications at bearing locations for steel or concrete pedestrian overpasses

Technical Specifications

The following are typical specification references for laminated rubber bearings. Customization according to design requirements is available.

Item	Parameter Range
Rubber Material	Natural rubber, chloroprene rubber
Shape	Rectangular or circular
Planar Dimensions	Multiple standard sizes; non-standard customization available
Thickness	Determined by design load and displacement requirements
Number of Steel Layers	Designed according to vertical load capacity
Hardness (IRHD)	60±5
Tensile Strength (MPa)	≥17
Elongation at Break (%)	≥400
Ultimate Compressive Strength R (MPa)	≥70
Compressive Elastic Modulus E (MPa)	E±E×20%
Shear Elastic Modulus G (MPa)	G±G×15%

Customization Service

We provide customization solutions for bridge rubber bearings based on specific bridge design parameters:

Dimensions: rectangular or circular, planar dimensions and thickness processed according to design drawings
Material selection: natural rubber or chloroprene rubber for this elastomeric bearing pad, recommended based on climate and environmental conditions
Steel plate configuration: number and thickness designed according to vertical load requirements of the laminated rubber bearing
Surface type: plain friction surface or PTFE sliding surface for the bridge bearing pad
Special requirements: cold-resistant formulations or specific color markings available upon discussion