Motive behind the coatings at the back faces of abutments

Question

Explain the motive behind the coatings provided at the back faces of abutments?

Answer 1

There are diverse views on the requirement of the application of protective coatings to the back faces of bridge abutment. The main motive of this coating is to offer waterproofing effect to the back faces of abutments. By decreasing the leakage of water through the concrete, the amount of dirty materials building up on the surface of concrete would be considerably reduced.