Pot Bearing Pre-fabrication Submission Checklist
Pot bearings are critical structural components designed to support heavy vertical loads while facilitating rotational movement and thermal expansion in bridges and large-scale infrastructure. Given their vital role in structural integrity, the pre-fabrication submission process is a mandatory step to ensure that the manufactured components meet the specific requirements of the project design, international standards, and safety codes.
1. Design and Documentation Requirements
- Design Calculations: Complete structural design calculations signed and sealed by a professional engineer, verifying the bearing's capacity for vertical load, horizontal force, and rotational requirements.
- Shop Drawings: Detailed technical drawings showing all dimensions, material specifications, tolerances, and connection details. These must correlate exactly with the projects general arrangement drawings.
- Material Specifications: Documentation for all raw materials, including steel grades (pot, piston, base plates), elastomer hardness (durometer), PTFE properties, and stainless steel sheet specifications.
- Proposed Manufacturing Method: A brief description of the fabrication process, including welding procedures, surface treatments, and anti-corrosion coating application.
2. Quality Management and Testing Plan
- Quality Control (QC) Plan: A comprehensive plan detailing the inspections to be performed at each stage of the manufacturing process.
- Inspection and Test Plan (ITP): A document identifying hold points (witness points) for the client or engineer, including factory acceptance testing (FAT) requirements.
- Certified Mill Test Reports (CMTRs): Verification that all steel and elastomer materials meet the required chemical and physical properties as per ASTM, AASHTO, or Eurocode standards.
- Welding Documentation: Qualified Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR), along with welder certification documentation.
3. Component-Specific Details
- Elastomer Certification: Certificates proving the elastomeric pads have undergone physical property testing, including shear modulus, compression set, and ozone resistance tests.
- PTFE Details: Specifications regarding the virgin PTFE sheets and their bonding or mechanical attachment to the stainless steel/elastomer interface.
- Corrosion Protection: Detailed specifications for the painting or galvanizing system, including dry film thickness (DFT) requirements and surface preparation (e.g., abrasive blasting standards).
- Seal and Dust Protection: Details on the rubber seal configuration designed to prevent the ingress of debris into the pot.
4. Logistics and Installation Readiness
- Handling and Storage Procedures: Guidelines on how the bearings should be transported, lifted, and stored on-site to prevent damage to sealing surfaces or alignment issues.
- Installation Manual: A step-by-step guide for the contractor, highlighting specific placement requirements, leveling procedures, and the application of non-shrink grout.
- Marking and Identification: A plan for how each bearing will be permanently labeled or tagged to match the bridge layout plan for accurate site assembly.
Importance of the Submission Process
The pre-fabrication submission is not merely a bureaucratic hurdle; it is the final opportunity to catch design discrepancies before mass production begins. By verifying that every componentfrom the high-strength bolts to the internal neoprene discis accounted for and compliant with the technical specifications, project managers mitigate the risk of costly site delays, structural failure, or future maintenance liabilities.
Ensuring that all certificates, drawings, and testing protocols are submitted in a clear, organized format facilitates a faster review process by the consulting engineer and ensures that the final installed product contributes to the long-term serviceability of the structure.
POT BEARING PREFABRICATION SUBMISSION CHECKLIST and Reference File Download Link
