FACTORS AFFECTING THE DURABILITY OF CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS: NORMAL VS THICKENED DECK

THE DECKS OF HIGHWAY STRUCTURES ARE OCCASIONALLY THICKENED TO ACCOMMODATE HEAVY EARTHMOVING CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. OFTEN THESE DECKS ARE NOT EXPOSED TO GREATER THAN LEGAL LOADS. THE CRACKING PATTERN IN 16 DECKS WHICH WERE THICKENED BUT WERE NOT EXPOSED TO GREATER THAN LEGAL LOADS WAS RECORDED AND COMPARED WITH THE CRACKING PATTERN IN AN EQUAL NUMBER OF PARALLEL STRUCTURES WITH DECKS OF NORMAL THICKNESS. THE COMPARISON WAS MADE USING A CRACK INDEX WHICH WAS CALCULATED FOR EACH STRUCTURE. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THICKENING BRIDGE DECKS CAN SLIGHTLY REDUCE TOTAL DECK CRACKING. MOST OF THIS REDUCTION OCCURRED IN THE LARGER SIZE CRACKS. THE PRECISE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF DECK CRACKING AND DECK THICKNESS WAS NOT DETERMINED DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF OTHER VARIABLES WHICH COULD NOT BE ISOLATED. /FHWA/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept NO: CA-HY-BD-4101-3-72-11Contract No D-3-29
• Corporate Authors:

  California Division of Highways

  Bridge Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  05914

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Horn, M W
  • STEWART, C F
  • Boulware, R L
• Publication Date: 1972-5-1

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Issue Number: 3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Concrete; Cracking; Durability; Heavy vehicles; Thickness
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concrete cracking
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208075
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Interim
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 22 1973 12:00AM