“The integrity and durability of a bridge depend on some hidden elements which are pivotal in doing their job. When it comes to the infrastructure in rural areas and small towns, where a bridge can be a matter of life in the terms of connection, earning money and getting access to important things, the role of certain elements, such as rubber bearings, is very important.” Mufaddal Deesawala Ameenji, Chairman & Managing Director of Ameenji Rubber Limited
When evaluating the bridge infrastructure in India, one is often drawn towards wide highways and grandiose constructions in urban locations. There are a number of important bridges in India bridging the gap between villages and marketplaces, between small towns and district hubs, agricultural communities and hospitals, and so on.
However, it is not all about steel and concrete when it comes to constructing a bridge. There are many lesser-known elements that make bridges function properly. One such element that is crucial in ensuring the proper operation of the structure is rubber bearings.
The Movement Management Model of Bridges
In general, bridges are not entirely rigid constructions. Bridges are subjected to varying temperatures that cause materials to expand and contract; traffic leads to frequent loads, and various factors result in movement. When there are high temperature fluctuations in a certain place throughout seasons of the year, this is the case with bridges.
The application of rubber bearings for bridges ensures that the movements are successfully managed, since the bearing supports help to transfer the loads from the upper to the lower construction of the bridge. This provides great flexibility allowing controlled movements without exposing other construction elements to high pressure.
This feature is especially significant in the rural and small-town areas where there are not enough resources for maintenance and traffic.
The Importance of Minor Components in Rural Infrastructure
Bridges in rural areas and in smaller towns do not generate such enormous traffic volumes as metropolitan counterparts; however, both their economic and social importance should not be underestimated. For example, a particular bridge can have an enormous effect on how agricultural products are delivered to the markets, how fast emergency services can react to issues, and how fast the town communicates with nearby areas and locations in unfavourable weather conditions.
This means that durability becomes the main priority in this case. Various members of the bridge undergo pressure from water and humidity, dust, variable temperature, different loading from vehicles and some other unfavourable conditions. Consequently, it is necessary for the bearing system to be able to operate for long periods of time and to be easy to inspect and maintain.
It is possible to state that elastomeric bearings can work efficiently in terms of their role as connectors between elements.
According to Mufaddal Deesawala Ameenji, Chairman & Managing Director of Ameenji Rubber Limited, “The integrity and durability of a bridge depend on some hidden elements which are pivotal in doing their job. When it comes to the infrastructure in rural areas and small towns, where a bridge can be a matter of life in the terms of connection, earning money and getting access to important things, the role of certain elements, such as rubber bearings, is very important.”
Adding reliability features in infrastructure networks
The importance of bridge bearings goes beyond the bridge itself. Performance is linked with accurate design, material quality, installation, inspection and maintenance of the bearing. One must consider the load conditions, environment influence and service life when designing the bearing model.
In India, where the government invests efforts in rural connectivity and small towns’ infrastructure, attention to the above-mentioned elements will have a growing importance. The infrastructure reliability cannot be attributed to one single component only; rather, it is the collective performance of all components of the infrastructure working together.
Although rubber bridge bearings do not attract much attention as a new deck or another big piece of infrastructure, their function is still very important. They help the bridges function properly as they enable the bridges to manage all the movements and loads in an efficient way.
Especially for India, where connectivity in rural areas and small towns is extremely important for livelihoods and provision of crucial experiences, such simple engineering concepts show an important principle of infrastructure development: the most silent elements are the ones that hold the whole infrastructure chain reasonably well.
