623.1Description.
This work consists of fabricating, providing, and installing bearing devices.
623.2Materials.
A.Elastomeric bearings, pot bearings, and disc bearings in accordance with Chapter 18 of the
specified edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Construction Specifications, including materials, fabrication, and testing.
B.Dowels Section 1037
C.Anchor Bolts Section 1039
D.Non-Shrink Grout Section 1047.2
E.Epoxy Grout Section 1047.4
F.Bearing Grease Waterproof, NLGI 2
G.Epoxy Adhesive Section 1024.10
623.3Construction.
A.Manufacture and test bearings in accordance with the current edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge
Construction Specifications, Chapter 18.
B.Submittals.
1.Prepare and submit working drawings for the bearings. Show all details of the bearings and of
the materials proposed for use. Provide the seal of a professional Delaware engineer. Do not begin fabrication until receiving the engineer's approval of the drawings. Include the following in the working drawings:
a.The manufacturer's name, location of the fabrication plant, and the name of the
representative responsible for coordinating production, inspection, sampling, and testing.
b.The total quantity of each kind of fixed, guided expansion, or non-guided expansion bearing
required grouped first according to load range type and then grouped by actual design capacity.
c.The type of materials used for all bearing elements.
d.A description and details for welding processes used in the bearing manufacture that do not
conform to the approved processes of the specified AASHTO/AWS D1.5 Bridge Welding Code.
e.The painting or coating requirements.
f.Plan, section, and elevation views showing all relative dimensions and alignment of each type
of bearing.
g.Complete design calculations verifying conformance with the contract including vertical and
horizontal load, rotation, and movement capacity; and maximum design coefficient of friction as noted in the contract.
h.The installation scheme showing bearing preset details and anchorage details.
2.If the contractor proposes an alternate design, submit supporting calculations certified by a
registered Delaware professional engineer. Design bearings in accordance with the specified edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, Chapter 14. For steel-reinforced elastomeric bearings, design using Method B.
C.Packaging, handling, and storage.
1.Before shipment from the point of manufacture, package bearings to protect against damage
during shipment and storage.
2.Identify each bearing by marking the location and orientation on the top of the bearing. Bolt,
strap, or otherwise fasten the components to prevent movement.
3.Store bearing devices and components at the work site in an area that provides protection from
environmental and physical damage. Do not store elastomeric pads in direct sunlight.
4.Do not dismantle bearings at the site unless required for inspection by the engineer or approved
by the engineer for installation. If the contract requires dismantling at the site, open or dismantle the bearings only under the direct supervision of the manufacturer's representative.
D.Elastomeric bearings.
1.The contractor may place elastomeric bearings without external load plates directly on a
concrete or steel surface provided that it is flat to within a tolerance of 0.5 percent of the nominal dimension for steel reinforced bearings and 1 percent of the nominal dimension for others. Place these bearings within 0.01 radians. Use grout or approved equal means to correct any lack of parallelism between the top of the bearing and the underside of the girder that exceeds 0.01 radians.
2.Weld exterior bearing plates only if there is 1 1/2-inches of steel between the weld and the
elastomer. Do not subject the elastomer or bond to temperatures in excess of 390 degrees F.
3.For new structural steel, vulcanize the bearing to the sole plate before shipping to the site. For
new concrete beams or replacing bearings in the field, use an approved epoxy adhesive to attach the bearings to the beam or sole plate.
4.Use an approved epoxy adhesive to attach the bearing to the bridge seat. Clean the bridge seat
before applying the adhesive.
E.Pot and disc bearings.
1.Install bearings in accordance with the contract and working drawings. Ensure that a technical
representative of the bearing manufacturer is on-site for the first bearing installation and available to provide guidance for the duration of the installation process.
2.Ensure that the manufacturer's representative or the engineer inspects bearing components
upon final installation to verify that the components are level and parallel to within 0.03 inch per foot.
3.If the bearings do not meet the tolerances above, submit a plan to correct deviations.
F.Anchor bolts.
1.Provide swedged or threaded anchor bolts to ensure a secure grip on the material used to
embed the bolts in the holes.
2.Either cast-in-place or epoxy grout anchor bolts in preformed sleeved holes. Burr the threads at
the face of the nut.
3.Fill the slots and holes in the masonry plates around the anchor bolts with an approved non-
hardening caulking compound or elastic joint sealer.
4.When replacing anchor bolts, drill out the existing bolts. Take precautions not to damage any
portion of the existing bearing intended for reuse or any of the existing bar reinforcement.
5.Locate anchor bolts to anticipate a variation from mean temperature of the superstructure at
the time of setting. Anticipate lengthening of the bottom chord or bottom flange, resulting from dead load after setting, so that the anchor bolts at expansion bearings will center in the slots at mean temperature and under dead load. Ensure that anchor bolts or nuts allow full and free movement of the superstructure at movable bearings.
G.Cleaning and greasing bearings.
1.Clean bearings before greasing using high-pressure water flushing at 3,000 PSI.
2.Remove remaining debris by hand-chipping.
3.Allow bearings time to fully dry before applying grease.
4.Apply grease at sufficient pressure and rate such that it covers the contact surface completely.
5.Ensure a final film of 1/16-inch minimum on the exposed area of bearings.
623.4Method of Measurement.
A.The Department will measure:
1.Bearing devices as the number of each bearing device placed and accepted.
2.Replaced anchor bolts as the number of each anchor bolt removed, replaced, and accepted.
3.Cleaning and greasing bridge bearings as the number of each bearing cleaned, greased, and
accepted.
623.5Basis of Payment.
A.Price and payment for bearings constitute full compensation for providing all materials, testing,
cleaning, lubricating, and installing bearing devices.
B.Price and payment for replacing anchor bolts constitute full compensation for providing new
anchor bolts, removing and disposing of existing anchor bolts, and installing anchor bolts.
C.Price and payment for cleaning and greasing bearings constitute full compensation for cleaning,
disposing of debris, and greasing bearings. ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT 623000 ELASTOMERIC BEARINGS EACH 623001 POT BEARINGS EACH 623002 DISC BEARINGS EACH 623003 REPLACE ANCHOR BOLTS EACH
ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT 623004 CLEAN AND GREASE BRIDGE BEARINGS EACH 623005 STEEL REINFORCED ELASTOMERIC BEARINGS EACH
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Source: Delaware Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2026 Edition. Pages 326–0 of 786.
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