The forces acting on bridges are multiple and of various origins: structure’s weight, shrinkage and creep, wind loads, temperature changes, traffic loads, horizontal loads such as accelerating, braking or skidding, impact forces due to collisions, support sagging, seismic forces, etc.
Freyssinet bearings are designed to ensure that loads are transferred between the superstructure and the substructure and that they enable movement and rotation of the superstructure.

  • Applications
    Bridges
    Buildings
    Stadiums
    Water infrastructure
    Energy infrastructure

A wide range of bearings

Freyssinet has developed a wide range of TETRON® bearings based on five designs:

  • Elastomeric bearings
  • Pot bearings
  • Spherical bearings
  • Guide and restraint bearings
  • Linear rocker bearings

Each design is available in three operating modes allowing for different translational and rotational movements to suit the function of each structure:

  • Fixed
  • Guided-sliding
  • Free-sliding

All our bearings are CE Marked. They are custom made and can be designed and manufactured in accordance with various standards, the most common being EN1337 (Europe), BS 5400 (UK), AASHTO LRFD 2012 (US) and AS 5100 (Australia).

 

  • Transfer of vertical loads
  • Transfer of horizontal forces both in longitudinal and transversal direction
  • Sliding movements restrained
  • Rotations enabled

 

  • Transfer of vertical loads
  • Sliding movements in one horizontal direction
  • Transfer of horizontal forces in the other horizontal direction
  • Rotations enabled

 

  • Transfer of vertical loads
  • Movements in both horizontal directions
  • No transfer of external horizontal forces
  • Rotations enabled
Select the right bearing type for your project
Custom-designed bearings

Freyssinet also provides a variety of bespoke devices designed, manufactured and tested to custom specifications, such as -but not limited to:

  • Various types of uplift bearings, including double-cap spherical bearings with a mechanism to support uplift loads in service
  • Permanent “launch-over” bearings for erecting bridges using the incremental launching method
  • Sliding pads for all types of sliding, launching or skidding operations, with improved sliding materials
  • Jackable bearings, with vertical load adjustment during construction (single jacking) or during service (multiple jacking)
  • Bearings with integrated seismic devices -viscous dampers or shock transmission units
  • Cylindrical bearings and other moment-restraining bearings
  • Bearings with required horizontal stiffness
  • Bearings for acoustic isolation.

These devices are designed in close cooperation by our structural engineers and bearing specialists.

Levante stadium in Spain: double-cap uplift spherical bearings for possible uplift in service, with rotational preset and movement stoppers.
Paris Metro line 2, France: jackable bearings for vertical adjustment
Nowra Bridge, Australia : stainless steel spherical bearings for incremental launching
Full service

From design to maintenance

Assessment and design services

A dedicated technical department (Atlante) assists you in the early stages of the project, to select the type of bearing best suited to the project and to size it, according to the needs of the structure and the budget available. This team, based in Italy, is made up of engineers and draftmen who are experts in structural and mechanical engineering, and use specific software providing 3D drawings.

Guarantee of the product performance and quality

Our TETRON® bearings are manufactured in-house. We integrate all the necessary skills for bearing design, prototype testing, manufacturing, quality control and shipping. Our test centre, known as ISOLAB and located near the Bearing Technical Department in Italy, has the status of an official laboratory and has all the necessary equipment to carry out static and dynamic tests according to international standards.

Technical support or full installation

Depending on your needs, we can provide technical assistance or proceed to the full installation of the bearings through our specialist teams around the world.

Inspection and maintenance

A maintenance guide is provided for each delivery. It specifies the frequency of bearing inspection according to the characteristics of the structure and its environment, in order to optimize its service life. Freyssinet specialists are available to carry out these inspections.

Maintenance of bearings

Elastomeric bearings

Acting as elastic connections between structural elements, elastomeric bearings are the most commonly used bearings. They allow the transmission of vertical forces, horizontal movements, structure rotation in any direction and horizontal forces within defined limits.

Tetron® pot bearings

The structural rotations are adjusted thanks to an elastomeric pad, confined into a steel pot, which responds with high vertical stiffness and low rotation resistance. They are cost-effective for high vertical loads, and small to moderate horizontal loads.

Tetron® spherical bearings

Its spherical plate allows rotation around each axis at low friction. They are very durable and can withstand higher vertical loads than pot bearings as well as high rotations.

Tetron® guide and restraint bearings

Freyssinet guide bearings type TETRON SK and restraint bearings type TETRON PK are used in the case of large horizontal loads to be transferred. They are usually combined with free sliding bearings.

Tetron® linear rocker bearings

TETRON® Linear rocker bearings provide an economical and durable solution for steel structures. The maximum vertical load is determined by the size of the bearing. Rotation is only possible in one direction.

Add-ons for bearings

Freyssinet offers additional options to its range of bearings to meet specific structural or environmental needs, reduce space requirements, simplify installation methods or facilitate future monitoring of the structure.

Bearings maintenance

Contact us

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