Bearing pads are an essential part of concrete construction, because without them, there would be no defense against environmental changes, stress due to shifting and settling or the damage caused by the vibration from movement throughout these great and massive structures. Since their advent on the technological market, there has been less structural losses and more importantly, less replacement of essential concrete fixtures in infrastructures all over the world.
What They Do
Bearing pads literally carry the weight of the world upon them. In concrete construction, no matter if the material is precast or prestressed, they are a necessary element to be added to the final result so that the vertical load of the construct can be distributed evenly throughout, minimizing the amount of localized stress defects, and the structural damage that can result because of them. This is their primary benefit, of course but there are other benefits that they can provide, especially in areas that regularly suffer from environmental hazards.
Using these pads can help structures to survive extreme environmental attacks upon them, like hurricanes and earthquakes, by allowing for both horizontal and rotational movements at the load bearing level. Basically it grants more flexibility to an otherwise solid mass for shifting and rolling, lessening the effects upon the structure as a whole. The shocks that come from teutonic shifting deep underground is also lessened, allowing upright constructs to hold their place far longer than without them. Read more...