by Warren Schlatter P.E., PS County Engineer, Defiance County, Ohio.

Webinar Documents

• ABC and Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Bridge Abutments in Ohio - pdf of presentation
• News, April 17, 2013 - pdf of presentation

Defiance County was an early adopter of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) for bridge abutments. GRS allows the construction of vertical load bearing walls at very reasonable cost and with very rapid construction. The vertical abutments provide an immediate cost savings in reduced superstructure length and cost. Defiance County has also experienced additional cost savings over time as the construction crew gained experience. Defiance County has 30 structures in service with GRS abutments and has had success with construction with county crews and contractors. This abutment type has been used with a variety of superstructure types including adjacent box beams, spread box beams, steel beams, concrete slab and even a FRP structure.