CORRECTIVE MEASURES EMPLOYING EPOXY RESINS ON CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS

THE APPLICATION OF AN EPOXY POLYSULFIDE SEALER TO THE CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS OF THE BASS AND MULLICA RIVER BRIDGES IS DESCRIBED. THE MAIN PROBLEM ON THESE BRIDGES IS DETERIORATION OF THE CONCRETE DECKS AND CURBS FROM THE ACTION OF SALT PENETRATING CRACKS AND CAUSING SCALED AND SPALLED AREAS TO DEVELOP. CORRECTIVE MEASURES TO DATE, SUCH AS CRACK SEALING AND FILLING SPALLED AREAS WITH ASPHALTIC COMPOUNDS, HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. PAST EXPERIENCE WITH EPOXY COMPOUNDS LED TO SEEKING IMPROVED COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF APPLICATION TO REPAIR AND SEAL THE BRIDGE DECKS FROM FURTHER CRACK PENETRATION AND DETERIORATION IN ONE COMPLETE OPERATION. USE OF BULK MATERIALS IN EXPERIMENTATION WITH VARIOUS APPLICATION METHODS GAVE A FULLY AUTOMATED OPERATION USING A TROWELING COMPOUND MIXER AND A TWO-COMPONENT EPOXY SPRAY UNIT PLUS ACCESSORIES. APPLICATION OF NON-SKID EMERY AGGREGATE TO THE FRESHLY APPLIED SEALER WAS ACCOMPLISHED USING A SANDBLASTER AND AN OPEN-END HOSE. THE GENERAL RESULT OF THIS AUTOMATED OPERATION WAS A SKID-RESISTANT ROAD SURFACE. THE CONCRETE DECKS WERE SEALED FROM THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF SALT AND THE LIFE OF THESE BRIDGES WAS EXTENDED BY THIS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. OTHER BENEFITS INCLUDE LOW COST OF APPLICATION THROUGH THE TRAINING OF PARKWAY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND PURCHASE OF MATERIAL IN BULK FROM THE RAW MATERIAL SUPPLIERS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/HRBproceedings/40/40-025.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 40, pp 489-496, 6 FIG. 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:
  • Goldberger, H W
• Publication Date: 1961

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Fortieth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 9-13, 1961.
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 40
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Concrete; Cracking; Epoxy resins; Sealing compounds; Skid resistance; Spalling
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209483
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 5 1972 12:00AM