Lateral loads on bridges can result from earth pressure, seismic forces, wind loads, traffic or even ship impact or wave action. In cases where lateral loads govern, it is not uncommon to see designers add additional piles or drilled shafts or increasing the size of pile or shaft caps. This document by the Transportation Research Board provides recommendations for ground improvement methods for improving lateral resistance of weak soils, including a simplified approach for assessing the lateral resistance of improved soils using commercially available software packages. [Source: TRB. Image: TRB]
