EFFECT OF STRESS ON FREEZE-THAW DURABILITY OF CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS

INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED TO OBTAIN A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REINFORCED CONCRETE PERFORMANCE, AS INDICATED BY SURFACE DETERIORATION AND CRACKING, AND EXTERNALLY APPLIED LOADINGS OF CYCLIC NATURE. THE RESEARCH FINDINGS SHED LIGHT ON THE EFFECTS OF STRESS IN ACCELERATING BRIDGE DECK DISTRESS AND OFFER EVIDENCE CONCERNING AIR ENTRAINMENT, THERMAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE FAILURE MODE OF CONCRETE UNDER THE ACTION OF CORRODED REINFORCING STEEL, AS WELL AS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES TO PRODUCE MORE DURABLE CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS. BRIDGE DECK DETERIORATION CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO CLASSES: (1) THE SCALING OF SURFACE MORTAR, AND (2) THE SPALLING OF CONCRETE DUE TO CORROSION IN TRANS- VERSE REINFORCEMENT. STRESS WILL HAVE A CERTAIN INFLUENCE ON BOTH TYPES OF DETERIORATION. ALTHOUGH STRESS APPEARS TO INFLUENCE SOMEWHAT THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT OF SURFACE SCALING, IT IS NOT A PRIMARY FACTOR. THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SURFACE MORTAR, COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE COARSE AGGREGATE LAYER OF THE CONCRETE, APPEARED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR. CORROSION OF REINFORCEMENT AT TRANSVERSE CRACKS AND SUBSEQUENT SPALLING OF CONCRETE APPEARS TO BE THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH RESPECT TO DURABILITY OF BRIDGE DECKS. ALLEVIATION OF DETERIORATION ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSVERSE CRACKING CAN POSSIBLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH REVIBRATION OR BY USING CORROSION-RESISTANT REINFORCEMENT. TWO THEORIES FOR MECHANISMS OF DETERIORATION ARE PRESENTED.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rrd_13.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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.
• Publication Date: 1969-10

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 2 p.
• Serial:
  • NCHRP Research Results Digest
  • Issue Number: 13
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Concrete; Corrosion; Deterioration; Durability; Freeze thaw durability; Reinforced concrete; Reinforcing steel; Spalling; Stresses; Transverse cracking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deteriorated concrete; Scaling
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218550
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 9 1970 12:00AM