RESEARCH ON THE SETTLEMENT OF BRIDGE APPROACH EMBANKMENTS DURING THE OPERATION PROCESS: A CASE STUDY OF THREE BRIDGES IN TRA VINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

In the Mekong Delta in general and Tra Vinh Province in particular, the settlement of bridge approach embankments has occurred for many years. However, the current solution to compensate for settlement has not been resolved completely and sustainably. The study was conducted to learn about the nature of the settlement phenomenon and predict the amount of settlement compensation for bridge approach embankments during operation throughout the province. The results show that in the settlement of bridge approach embankments, in the case of not treating the ground, the total settlement is 0.21 m, and the time to stop settlement is 100 years; in thecase of treating the ground, the total settlement is 0.12 m, the time to stop settlement is 50 years. This study helps designers and constructors have solutions to properly treat the bridge approach embankments to avoid the settlement of the bridge approach.