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USE OF ASPHALT-LATEX EMULSION IN THIN WEARING SURFACES FOR STEEL BRIDGES AND STRUCTURES

ON CERTAIN TYPES OF BRIDGES, CONSIDERABLE ECONOMY CAN BE ACHIEVED, THROUGH A REDUCTION OF DEAD WEIGHT, BY SUBSTITUTING FOR THE CONVENTIONAL PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENT A LIGHT WEIGHT STEEL DECK WITH A PROPER WEARING SURFACE. STEEL DECKS, WHETHER SMOOTH, CHECKERED OR OF THE OPEN GRID TYPE HAVE PROVED TOO HAZARDOUS FROM THE SKID STANDPOINT. THE RESEARCH PROGRAM HAS CONSISTED OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF SPECIAL BINDING AGENTS WHICH MUST RESIST THE TRACTIVE EFFECTS OF HEAVY LOADS AND PROVIDE A PROPER BOND TO STEEL, WOOD OR CONCRETE SURFACES. THE BINDER MUST ALSO WITHSTAND CONSIDERABLE VIBRATORY AND DEFLECTION STRESSES UNDER RAPID IMPACT LOADING OF RELATIVELY LIGHT STEEL PLATES AND EXHIBIT GOOD DURABILITY QUALITIES IN ITS ABILITY TO WITHSTAND WATER ACTION, AND CHANGES IN PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE AGGREGATES, CONSTITUTING THE WEARING COVER MUST PROVIDE AN ANTI-SKID SURFACE AS WELL AS OFFER A HIGH RESISTANCE TO CRUSHING UNDER IMPACT LOADS. ORIGINAL FIELD TRIALS IN 1947 WERE MADE ON A BASCULE BRIDGE WITH A WOODEN DECK WHERE ASPHALT-LATEX EMULSION WAS USED AS THE BINDER FOR THE CRUSHED AGGREGATE PROVIDING THE WEARING COVER. THIS WEARING SURFACE IS IN GOOD CONDITION AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF SERVICE AND IS CARRYING A FAIRLY LARGE VOLUME OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. IN THE SUMMER OF 1952, ANOTHER EXPERIMENTAL SURFACE WAS PLACED ON A RELATIVELY LARGE STEEL PLATE DECK BRIDGE CROSSING ULATIS CREEK IN SOLANO COUNTY. THIS BRIDGE WAS DECKED WITH BOTH PLAIN AND CHECKERED STEEL PLATES AND WAS SURFACED WITH SCREENINGS BONDED TO THE DECK WITH ASPHALT-LATEX EMULSION AND LUMNITE CEMENT-LATEX. JUDGING BY THE PERFORMANCE RECORD OF THE TWO PROJECTS IT APPEARS ENTIRELY FEASIBLE TO APPLY ADEQUATE LIGHT WEIGHT WEARING SURFACES, EXHIBITING SUITABLE ELASTIC PROPERTIES TO RESIST SEVERE CONDITIONS OF VIBRATION AND DEFLECTION AND ALSO PROVIDE DESIRABLE SKID RESISTANCE QUALITIES. /AUTHOR/

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 34, pp 248-273, 31 FIG, 1 TAB, 3 REF, 1 APP. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Zube, E
  • Publication Date: 1955

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 11-14, 1955
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00211630
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Jun 5 1972 12:00AM