Abutment

In engineering, abutment refers to the substructure at the ends of a bridge span

or dam whereon the structure's superstructure rests or contacts. Single-span
bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support
for the bridge, as well as acting as retaining walls to resist lateral movement of
the earthen fill of the bridge approach. Multi-span bridges require piers to
support ends of spans unsupported by abutments. Dam abutments are generally
either side of a valley or gorge but may be artificial in order to support arch
dams such as Kurobe Dam in Japan.
The term may also refer to the structure supporting one side of an arch, or
masonry used to resist the lateral forces of a vault. The word derives from the
verb "abut", meaning to "touch by means of a mutual border".
An abutment may be used for the following:

To transfer loads from a superstructure to its foundation elements.

To resist and/or transfer self weight, lateral loads (such as the earth
pressure) and wind loads.

To support one end of an approach slab.

Types of abutments
There are different types of abutments including:

Gravity Abutment, resists horizontal earth pressure with its own dead
weight

U Abutment, U shaped gravity abutment

Cantilever Abutment, Cantilever retaining wall designed for large vertical

loads

Full Height Abutment, Cantilever abutment that extends from the

underpass grade line to the grade line of the overpass roadway

Stub Abutment, Short abutments at the top of an embankment or slope.

Usually supported on piles

Semi-Stub Abutment, Size between full height and stub abutment

Counterfort Abutment, Similar to counterfort retaining walls

Spill-through Abutment, Vertical buttresses with open spaces between

them

MSE systems,Reinforced earth system: modular units with metallic

reinforcement

Pile Bent abutment, Similar to Spill-through Abutment