THE RESURFACING OF DETERIORATED CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS WITH THIN CONCRETE OVERLAYS

IN COMMON WITH MANY OTHER AUTHORITIES, BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS FOUND THAT MANY CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS IN THE PROVINCE HAVE BEGUN TO DETERIORATE SERIOUSLY. THIS HAS TAKEN THE FORM OF SCALING AND POT-HOLING OF THE CONCRETE SURFACE. IT HAS OCCURRED ON BOTH OLD AND RELATIVELY NEW DECKS. WHILE THE REASONS FOR THE DETERIORATION ARE NOT PRECISELY KNOWN, A NUMBER OF FACTORS APPEAR TO BE IMPORTANT. THESE ARE WEATHER, IN PARTICULAR THE NUMBER OF FREEZE-THAW CYCLES, THE INTENSITY OF TRAFFIC, THE QUALITY OF THE CONCRETE, THE AMOUNT OF AIR ENTRAINMENT, AND THE FREQUENCY OF USE OF DE- ICING SALTS. AFTER STUDYING THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, CONDUCTING SOME TESTS IN THE LABORATORY, AND OBSERVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DECKS IN B.C., IT WAS DECIDED TO TRY RESURFACING SOME OF THEM WITH A 1 TO 1 1/2 INCH THICKNESS OF CONCRETE WITHOUT USING ANY KIND OF BONDING AGENT EXCEPT CEMENT GROUT. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE APPLICATION OF THIN CONCRETE OVERLAYS TO OLD CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF REPAIR, THE BOND STRENGTH OF THE NEW CONCRETE TO THE OLD IS ADEQUATE AND USUALLY GREATER THAN THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE OLD CONCRETE, AN EXCELLENT RIDING SURFACE CAN BE OBTAINED, THE COST OF THE RESURFACING IS HIGH, DUE MAINLY TO THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO PREPARE THE OLD SURFACE, AND WHILE RESULTS OF THE WORK TO DATE APPEAR TO BE SATISFACTORY, FURTHER PERFORMANCE IS REQUIRED TO DETERMINE IF LOSS OF BOND OCCURS AND TO FIND OUT IF FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE OLD CONCRETE WILL OCCUR. /CGRA/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00052906
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 18, No 4, PP 7-11, 1 TAB, 4 PHOT, 8 REF
• Authors:
  • Readshaw, E E
  • Locke, E A
• Publication Date: 1967-4

Media Info

• Serial:
  • BC Professional Engineer
  • Publisher: Association of Prof Engineers of British Columbia
  • ISSN: 0005-2906

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air entrainment; Bond strength (Materials); Bonding; Bridge decks; Concrete; Costs; Deicers (Equipment); Deterioration; Freeze thaw durability; Resurfacing; Riding qualities; Tensile strength; Traffic; Weather
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deicers; Deteriorated concrete; Intensity; Preparation; Scaling
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218130
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: CANADIAN GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 21 1994 12:00AM