DURABILITY OF CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS - A REVIEW OF COOPERATIVE STUDIES

THE RESULTS OF CONCRETE BRIDGE DECK DURABILITY STUDIES ARE SUMMARIZED. CONDITION SURVEYS WERE MADE OF OVER 1,000 RANDOMLY SELECTED DECKS IN CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, TEXAS, AND VIRGINIA TO ASSESS THE EXTENT OF DETERIORATION. DETAILED FIELD AND LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS WERE MADE ON 68 DECKS IN KANSAS, MICHIGAN, CALIFORNIA, AND MISSOURI TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF DETERIORATION. ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO SCALING, CRACKING, AND SPALLING. SCALING IS NOT A PARTICULARLY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN KEPT UNDER CONTROL-ALTHOUGH NOT ELIMINATED-WITH USE OF AIR-ENTRAINED CONCRETE. THE OBSERVED SCALING IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH DEFICIENCIES IN THE ENTRAINED AIR VOID SYSTEMS AND WITH INADEQUATE DECK DRAINAGE. MANY FORMS OF CRACKING ARE OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LEAD TO MORE SERIOUS FORMS OF DECK DISTRESS. LONGITUDINAL CRACKING IS SOMETIMES FOUND ON THE THICKER SLAB-TYPE BRIDGES AND APPARENTLY RESULTS FROM SUBSIDENCE OF HIGH SLUMP CONCRETE AROUND THE REINFORCING BARS. TRANSVERSE CRACKING IS THE FORM MOST OFTEN ENCOUNTERED. SHRINKAGE AND THERMAL VOLUME CHANGES IN THE CONCRETE APPARENTLY ARE THE PRIMARY FACTORS PRODUCING THESE CRACKS. SURFACE SPALLING, A MAJOR PROBLEM IN SOME STATES, IS THE RESULT OF INTERNAL EXPANSIVE FORCES IN THE CONCRETE GENERATED BY THE CORROSION OF TOP REINFORCING BARS. CRACKS OVER BARS, SHALLOW CONCRETE COVER OVER BARS, AND PERMEABLE CONCRETE ALLOW THE DE-ICING CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS TO REACH THE BARS AND CAUSE THE CORROSION. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED DURABILITY INVOLVE THE USE OF HIGHER QUALITY CONCRETES, IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES, AND ATTENTION TO DESIGN DETAILS THAT HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON DURABILITY. ATTENTION IS ALSO INVITED TO 2- COURSE BONDED CONSTRUCTION (SUCH AS IS USED FOR INDUSTRIAL FLOOR CONSTRUCTION) AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SINGLE COURSE BRIDGE DECK CONSTRUCTION. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1970/328/328-005.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Effect of Ice Control and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting. 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:
  • Freyermuth, Clifford L
  • Klieger, Paul
  • Stark, David C
  • Wenke, Harry N
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 50-60
• Monograph Title: Concrete durability, cement paste, aggregates and sealing compounds
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 328
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bars (Building materials); Bridge decks; Concrete; Corrosion; Cracking; Deterioration; Durability; Fracture mechanics; Heat; Material reinforcement; Shrinkage; Spalling; Volume changes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concrete cracking; Scaling
• Old TRIS Terms: Shrinkage cracks
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00213852
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 8 1971 12:00AM