Issues with Reflective Deck Cracks in Side-by-Side Box Beam Bridges

Side-by-side box-beam bridges are constructed in US, Japan as well as in Europe. There is a recent thrust to use this bridge type because of the ability to rapidly construct them with minimal interruption to traffic. Focus of this article is the box-beam bridges built in Michigan. Current Michigan box-beam bridges utilize full-depth shear keys, a six-inch cast-in-place concrete deck and lateral posttension. Michigan bridges utilize the largest transverse posttension force magnitudes in the US. Yet, reflective deck cracking along the beam joints is continuing to be a common problem and it is identified as the leading cause of the premature deterioration process of the bridge. In order to evaluate several conflicting conclusions present in the literature, shear key condition of a decommissioned bridge was monitored. In addition, a box-beam bridge deck construction was monitored during each construction stage and shear key conditions were documented. Six-inch cast-in-place concrete bridge deck was inspected and reflective longitudinal deck cracking was documented few days after construction but before opening to traffic. Inspection data helped clarify the inconsistencies in literature and to identify the time and location of inception of cracking.

• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Concrete Bridge Council

  Portland Cement Association, 5420 Old Orchard Road
  Skokie, IL  United States  60077-1083

  Missouri Department of Transportation

  105 West Capitol Avenue
  Jefferson City, MO  United States  65102

  American Concrete Institute (ACI)

  38800 Country Club Drive
  Farmington Hills, MI  United States  48331
• Authors:
  • Attanayake, Upul
  • Aktan, Haluk
• Conference:
  • 2008 Concrete Bridge Conference
  • Location: St. Louis MO, United States
  • Date: 2008-5-4 to 2008-5-7
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 18p
• Monograph Title: HPC: Safe, Affordable, and Efficient

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Box beams; Bridge decks; Cast in place concrete; Cracking; Posttensioning; Prestressed concrete; Prestressed concrete bridges; Transverse cracking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Reflective cracking
• Geographic Terms: Michigan
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01105167
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 25 2008 7:49AM