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https://www.nationalacademies.org/trb/events

Durability and Cost-Benefit Assessment of Innovative Materials for Bridge Deck Maintenance and Construction

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) manages one of the largest state transportation networks in the US, including over 9400 bridges. For existing and newly built bridges, concrete decks are the primary area of concern for durability due to aging, increased load demands, and direct exposure to corrosive environments, especially throughout the coastline and the Lowcountry. As a result, excessive cracking (e.g., due to aging, shrinkage, overloads, exposure to chloride salts) and corrosion-related damage (e.g., concrete spalling, loss of reinforcing material) are all-too-common conditions that hinder safety, reduce capacity, and negatively affect user satisfaction. The condition of the State’s bridge decks is reflected in the National Bridge Inventory. In 2018, for the first time, the number of bridges rated as ‘Fair’ (4855, over 50% of the total) surpassed those rated as ‘Good’. This trend shows what bridge inspectors are well aware of—that the rate of deterioration exceeds the rate of rehabilitation and replacement. The outlook is that a ‘State of Good Repair’ is increasingly challenging, despite the SCDOT’s growing maintenance efforts. In fact, the cost and impact on mobility of bridge maintenance and new construction put a premium on accelerating the transition to innovative deck materials that offer unprecedented durability and cost benefits. Compelling examples are ultra-high performance concrete, specialty admixtures (e.g., shrinkage-control, nano-amendment), cementitious-matrix overlays, externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems, galvanized steel bars, and noncorrosive glass FRP (GFRP) bars whose cost is now on par with black steel. In addition to bridge deck research, the proposed research will also focus on developing standard repair procedures for various bridge components. An emphasis will be placed on developing procedures that are relatively easy to perform by maintenance forces with commonly available equipment. The proposed research aims to bridge the gap between state-of-the-art and field implementation. Doing so requires addressing a lack of familiarity by practitioners, a difficulty with assessing cost benefits, and a limited availability of SCDOT provisions and tools for design, and life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for asset management.