Experimental Investigation of the Seismic Behavior of a Novel Shallow Foundation Abutment with Anchor Plates and Steel Bundles

In earthquake-prone regions, improving the seismic performance of bridge abutments is crucial for ensuring the overall safety and resilience of transportation infrastructure. In this study, a novel shallow foundation abutment with anchor plates and steel bundles is proposed. Quasi-static tests incorporating soil–abutment interaction were conducted on a novel shallow foundation abutment and on a conventional abutment to evaluate and compare their seismic performance. The experimental results, including failure mechanism, hysteretic behavior, backbone curve, stiffness, and damping ratio, were analyzed. The findings indicate that the inclusion of anchor plates and steel bundles effectively restricts abutment rotation and significantly enhances its ultimate bearing capacity, with an observed increase of up to 96%. The secant stiffness of the novel shallow foundation abutment is consistently greater than that of a conventional abutment, being on average 20.9% higher before a loading displacement of 20 mm. Moreover, its energy dissipation capacity surpasses that of the common abutment after a loading displacement of 8 mm. Overall, the participation of anchor plates and steel bundles substantially improves the seismic resistance of the soil–abutment interaction system. The conclusions of this study provide valuable guidance for the design, promotion, and practical application of shallow foundation abutments with anchor plates and steel bundles in seismically active areas.