The Tetron spherical bearing S3

SPHERICAL S3 Bearings are the most advanced and sophisticated support bearings available, providing complete structural freedom in rotation and horizontal sliding. All Freyssinet bearings are manufactured in accordance with BS 5400: Section 9.2:1983.

Material specifications
Tetron S3 bases and rockers use maintenance-free aluminium alloy. Sliding plates are made of structural steel, faced with high quality stainless steel. Sliding surfaces are lined with pure PTFE to BS 6564. Pins for side restraints are special spring steel with minimum yield strength 1100 N/mm. All permanently exposed steel parts are fully corrosion protected. Several different treatments are available, full technical data on request. Full details of material specifications are available on request.

Design
Sliding friction The friction coefficient for PTFE is not constant but decreases with increasing direct stress. Tetron bearings are permanently lubricated to reduce the static coefficient of friction. Lateral restraint It is emphasised that only one S3F bearing at a support should be provided to resist a full transverse force, because it is not possible to position two bearings in a rigid structure to guarantee that such a force will be shared equally between them. Also, adequate vertical load must be present to ensure stability. We recommend consultation with our Engineer. High rotation 3 (0.052 radians) in any plane. More than adequate for most structural purposes. Removeability All bearings are designed to be removable with minimum jacking of the structure.

Contact stress
The average base contact stress of the bearings illustrated approaches 17.5N/mm. Direct contact between the aluminium parts of the bearings and dissimilar metals must be avoided.

*Tetron is a registered trademark. 2

Installation
General
In a bearing that is free sliding in all directions (i.e. the S3E range) positive fixing to the main structure may not be required if the bearing is always subjected to adequate vertical loading. Horizontal movement will occur on the plane of least resistance which is, of course, the bearing sliding surface. Nevertheless, in some cases it is prudent to provide fixings to guard against displacement during installation, impact, vibration and accidental unloading. Most cases of bearing malfunction are attributable to faulty installation and almost all bearing damage occurs during installation or even earlier during handling and storage. Careless handling on site and the ingress of dirt can easily lead to abnormally high frictional resistance. Tetron S bearings are normally delivered in a condition to discourage unnecessary dismantling and temporary bolts are used to connect together the upper and lower parts of the bearings. These temporary fixings, as well as excluding dirt during installation, prevent accidental relative displacement between the parts of the bearings but they must be removed before the bearings are called upon to slide or rotate. However, they are not structural fixings and should be supplemented for example by wedges during installation. Bearings should be clearly identified and Freyssinet can help by marking them with such details as type and location when requested. Bearings should be transported and unloaded carefully and then stored under cover in clean, dry conditions until required. As much preparatory work as possible should be carried out b efore bringing a bearing to its actual location. The seating should be level and this usually necessitates the use of a mortar bedding composed of sand and either cement, polyester resin or epoxy resin, with a cube crushing strength of at least 35N/mm.

Base Fixings
An E type bearing is free sliding in all directions with a low coefficient of friction, so that theoretically the bases do not require mechanical fixing, (figure 1) but see notes above. All other types of bearings can resist horizontal loading and so their bases should be fixed. There are several ways of achieving this. The fixing bolts and sockets can be attached to the bearing base with a rubber washer between the socket and base. It is then possible to cast in the fixings and grout the bearing in one operation. The bearing may be supported on temporary packs, aligned, levelled and a chemical resin grout poured around the sockets and under the bearing (Fig 2) using some simple shuttering. The fixings should not be over-tightened when the grout has set; otherwise the bearing may be distorted due to compression in the washers. Nevertheless, rubber washers must be used to prevent the sockets carrying vertical loading. This is the preferred method of fixing and ensures bearing removeability. In special cases, a large recess can be left in the abutment into which the bearing base is placed bodily, bedded upon and surrounded with cement/sand or epoxy resin mortar (see fig.3). The recess must be correctly reinforced on all sides. This method does not meet the removeability requirement. Clearly sockets provide the easiest castin fixings with removal in view, for all types of bearing.

Top Fixings
For similar reasons, top fixings must be provided for all bearings (optional for the E type). A completed precast concrete structure may be lowered on to a skim or mortar on the top of the bearing, to eliminate soffit irregularities. The mortar mix needs careful control to ensure that it is not totally squeezed out by the weight of the superstructure, which must be supported until it has set. The fixing sockets for the top of the bearing should be ready cast into the soffit, but this requires accurate casting, using a jig drilled mould insert to match the bolting arrangement in the bearing. Alternatively, the sockets may be replaced by a single plate, cast in flush with the soffit, and tapped to receive the bearing fixing bolts. Where a concrete superstructure is cast in-situ, the bearing top plates, with dowels can be built into the soffit shuttering. The area around the mould cut out must be carefully sealed to ensure that concrete does not leak into the working parts of the bearing during placing, and all sliding plates must be propped to prevent them distorting under the weight of wet concrete. Great care must be exercised to ensure that F lateral restraint bearings are correctly orientated.

Notes
Bearings should not be dismantled on site because the effects of dirt on the sliding and rotating surfaces are highly deleterious. In all cases the transit bolts must be removed after the mortar has set and before the bearing is called upon to rotate or slide.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3 3

Tetron S3T Fixed (Fixed in all directions, free to rotate in all directions.)

* Assuming vm = 1.2 Working stress design (kN) Bearing type S3T 70 S3T 150 S3T 250 S3T 300 S3T 350 S3T 400 S3T 500 S3T 600 S3T 750 S3T 1000 S3T 1200 1. 2. Principal dimensions (mm) C D E F 215 340 145 230 305 360 400 440 485 510 565 660 710 790 410 435 490 515 565 585 640 795 830 925 235 280 310 335 355 375 430 500 535 595 305 375 420 465 500 535 600 705 755 840 Max. Load Vertical 700 1500 2500 3000 3500 4000 5000 6000 7500 10000 12000 Max. Load Horizontal 65 150 250 280 300 360 450 500 600 750 900 BS.5400:Section 9.1 Design load effects (kN) Serviceability Limit State Ultimate Limit State Vertical 700 1500 2500 3000 3500 4000 5000 6000 7500 10000 12000 Horizontal 65 150 250 280 300 360 450 500 600 750 900 Vertical * 900 2000 3000 3800 4500 5000 6300 7500 9500 12500 15000 Horizontal 110 210 300 400 500 600 650 710 900 1100 1300

A 70 100 105 115 130 140 145 155 180 195 215

B 400 475 510 570 600 660 685 760 930 970 1080

G 177 240 297 336 364 396 417 463 548 583 654

H M12 M20 M20 M24 M24 M30 M30 M30 M30 M30 M30

Bearing type column indicates maximum vertical design load in tonnes for Working stress design or BS.5400 Serviceability Limit state. Larger bearings are available details on request. 4

Tetron S3F Sliding Guided (Sliding, guided in one direction, free to rotate in all directions.)

` Working stress design (kN) Bearing type S3F 70 S3F 150 S3F 250 S3F 300 S3F 350 S3F 400 S3F 500 S3F 600 S3F 750 S3F 1000 Principal dimensions (mm) A 100 130 135 145 155 170 175 190 225 240 B 351 497 541 636 680 718 750 814 922 971 C 270 360 420 460 480 540 570 625 720 770 D 286 432 476 546 590 628 660 724 832 881 E 190 280 340 360 400 460 470 525 620 670 F 230 305 375 420 465 500 535 600 705 755 G 177 240 297 336 364 396 417 463 548 583 H M12 M20 M20 M24 M24 M24 M30 M30 M30 M30 Max. Load Vertical 700 1500 2500 3000 3500 4000 5000 6000 7500 10000 Max. Load Horizontal 65 150 250 280 300 360 450 500 600 750

* Assuming vm = 1.2 BS.5400:Section 9.1 Design load effects (kN) Serviceability Limit State Ultimate Limit State Vertical 700 1500 2500 3000 3500 4000 5000 6000 7500 10000 Horizontal 65 150 250 280 300 360 450 500 600 750 Vertical * 900 2000 3000 3800 4500 5000 6300 7500 9500 12500 Horizontal 110 210 300 400 500 600 650 710 900 1100

S3F 1200 265 1055 860 965 760 840 654 M30 12000 900 12000 900 15000 1300 1. Basic bearing as tabulated is for zero movement, and is specified typically as S3F250/00. For additional movements increase C and E dimensions by 100mm per increment when bearing is described in a code, e.g. S3F 250/10 (movement in cm). 2. Bearing type column indicates maximum vertical design load in tonnes for Working stress design or BS.5400 Serviceability Limit State. 3. Larger bearings available details on request. 4. 3 (0.052 radians) rotation in any plane. 5

Tetron S3E Free Sliding (Free sliding in all directions, free to rotate in all directions.)

* Assuming vm = 1.2 Working stress design (kN) Bearing type S3E 70 S3E 150 S3E 250 S3E 300 S3E 350 S3E 400 S3E 500 S3E 600 S3E 750 S3E 1000 1. 2. Principal dimensions (mm) C D E F 265 280 205 230 325 385 420 460 490 520 575 660 720 800 335 410 495 560 615 650 680 755 840 265 315 360 400 430 460 515 600 650 305 375 420 465 500 535 600 705 755 Max. Load Vertical 700 1500 2500 3000 3500 4000 5000 6000 7500 10000 BS.5400:Section 9.1 Design load effects (kN) Serviceability Limit State Vertical 700 1500 2500 3000 3500 4000 5000 6000 7500 10000 Ultimate Limit State Vertical * 900 2000 3000 3800 4500 5000 6300 7500 9500 12500

A 90 109 120 125 140 145 150 160 190 200

B 340 395 485 555 620 675 710 740 815 910

G 177 240 297 336 364 396 417 463 548 583

H M12 M20 M20 M20 M20 M20 M20 M20 M20 M20

S3E 1200 220 1000 925 725 840 654 M20 12000 12000 15000 Basic bearing as tabulated is for zero movement in both the principal and transverse directions and is specified typically as S3E 150/0000. For additional movement C and E increase by 100mm per increment of principal movement and/or B and D increase by 100mm per increment of transverse movement when bearing is described in a code. e.g. BEARING TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT (cm)

3. 4. 5.

PRINCIPAL MOVEMENT (cm) Bearing type column indicates maximum vertical design load in tonnes for Working stress design or BS.5400 Serviceability Limit State. Larger bearings are available details on request. 3 (0.052 radians) rotation in any plane.
6

Fixings
All bearings have provision for Grade 8.8 fixing bolts which are designed to cater for the horizontal force to which each specific type may be subjected, with some assistance from friction due to the minimum vertical load normally present in service. For ease of installation and to provide complete removeability we suggest that the bearings be secured to cast-in sockets where possible. Freyssinet standard bolts and sockets may be provided as extra items, bolts are zinc plated.

Standard Fixing Socket for removable bearings S3E, S3F and S3T
Available as an extra from Freyssinet Ltd. Sockets are provided uncoated.

Base or Top Plate

Bolt M12 M16 M20 M24 M30 M36 M42 M48 M56 M64

'A' 25 40 40 40 50 70 90 100 100 120

'B' 60 70 100 160 220 220 220 250 350 400

3mm Natural Rubber Bolt I.S.O. metric (Grade 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9) Zinc plated.

Mild Steel Socket

General arrangement drawings

We suggest that before detailing general arrangement drawings are obtained with the latest information on dimensions and material specifications as the information in this publication is subject to change and updating.

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Issue: 05 5/10/05

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