Use of GRS Bridge Abutments on the Rise

For the first time, Yamhill County, Oregon will use a method of supporting bridges that’s slowly gaining popularity for its simplicity. “It’s a low-cost method of building a foundation in areas where the bedrock is deep,” County Engineer Bill Gille said. Instead of drilling down, workers on the Laughlin Hill bridge project will build the abutments using a geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) method, alternating between geotextiles, compacted fill, and cinder blocks.