STUDY OF ELECTRICALLY HEATED BRIDGE DECKS FOR ICE PREVENTION

THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND STUDY OF THREE ELECTRICAL HEATING SYSTEMS ARE PRESENTED. THE THREE SYSTEMS ARE: (1) PIERCE STREET OVERPASS IN AMARILLO, TEXAS, WHICH HAS AN ANTI-ICING SYSTEM FOR HEAVILY TRAVELLED STRUCTURES WITH DEEP APPROACH GRADES AND NO FRONTAGE ROADS, (2) LOOP 289 OVERPASS IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS, WHICH CONSISTS OF ELECTRIC HEATING CABLES LAID ON TOP OF THE SLAB AND COVERED WITH A POLYESTER COMPOUND KNOWN AS TERRAZZITE, (3) CITY VIEW DRIVE OVERPASS IN WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, WHICH HAS A PROVISION FOR TESTING A VARIETY OF CABLE SPACINGS AND SLAB DEPTHS. TEMPERATURE DATA AND VISUAL OBSERVATIONS WERE COLLECTED FROM THE ABOVE STRUCTURES AND ANALYZED. RESULTS OF THESE ANALYSES SHOW THAT THE USE OF ELECTRICAL HEATING SYSTEMS TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF ICE OR ACCUMULATION OF SNOW ON BRIDGE SLABS IS BOTH FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE. HOWEVER, A MORE DETAILED STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SLAB THICKNESS AND HEAT DISTRIBUTION IS NEEDED BEFORE ANY DESIGN CRITERIA CAN BE ESTABLISHED. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Res Rept 72-1-F, 69 PP
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transp

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701
• Authors:
  • Butler, H D
• Publication Date: 1968-3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Coatings; Construction; Depth; Design; Electric cables; Electric heating; Heat; Physical distribution; Polyester resins; Slabs; Snow and ice control; Spacing; Systems; Temperature; Testing; Thickness
• Uncontrolled Terms: Data; Design criteria
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Freight Transportation; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218397
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 21 1994 12:00AM