Designs are needed for large, heavy duty tilting-pad thrust bearings to minimize the load and thermal distortions of sliding surfaces which adversely effect bearing performance. A new bearing construction is proposed in this paper, aimed at reducing thermal distortion. The effects of the thermal distortion on proposed design are analyzed with a simplified model and a significant improvement in bearing performance in comparison to a conventional bearing, is confirmed in tests.Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, October 3–5, 1977