ABSTRACT
Due to the vast difference in subsurface conditions North to South and East to West in the United States, various design practices have evolved which, when analyzed, have at times defied uniformity. Each of the states, particularly those which have major cities, developed procedures which fit one state forgetting that some day a bridge may span river, separating that state from its neighbor. The abutments of that bridge may have to have different design, subsurface investigation and construction standards. This chapter highlights some of the examples of the above and presents the strides that were made toward unifying these variations. To give some examples of some design peculiarities, it looks into the construction process in the US and suggests that the European process may be or may be made simpler. Precast/prestressed piles are widely used in the southerly coasts both east and west mostly in sandy areas. Handling is big cost and often precludes its use elsewhere.
