Increasing the Lifespan and Resiliency of Bridge Deck Concrete Containing SCM Through Durability-Based Performance Evaluation and Structural-Level

The long-term durability of concrete bridge decks is critical to ensure safe and cost-effective transportation infrastructure. While Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) are widely used to enhance the durability performance of bridge deck concrete, their long-term deterioration under both live-load and environmental (exposure conditions)-load remains inadequately understood. The research will evaluate in-service SCM bridge decks using Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods to track deterioration trends and correlate them with traffic loading and environmental exposure. Concurrently, representative SCM bridge decks will be constructed at the BEAST facility, where accelerated testing will simulate 15 to 30 years of traffic-induced damage through rolling loads, freeze-thaw cycles, and salt brine exposure, and deterioration progression will be monitored through the NDT assessments along with establishing a correlation between average daily traffic and bridge deck deterioration. The laboratory-based durability evaluation, followed by refinement of the TTI Tool, will be conducted at TTI for rapid and reliable durability-based performance evaluation (e.g., optimum SCM dosage for alkali-silica reaction mitigation; autogenous and drying shrinkage strains, shrinkage-based cracking potential; time to rebar corrosion initiation and probability of failure; and freeze-thaw service life based on estimation of time to critical saturation) of the selected SCM deck mixtures. A new and innovative combined approach (i.e., the TTI-Tool-based material level durability evaluation combined with performance prediction due to live-load + environmental load) will be developed for predicting the deterioration curve over time under field conditions for SCM field bridge decks. This will improve the durability and extend service life for new deck construction and improve repair strategies based on the remaining life prediction for the existing concrete bridge decks. Developing this kind of combined approach aligns with NCIT’s focus on improving infrastructure durability by enhancing data-driven decision-making for bridge deck design, maintenance, and rehabilitation, and contributes to asset management and fostering more resilient transportation infrastructure.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $602,500.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344813

  69A3552348318

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Infrastructure Transformation

  Prairie View A&M University
  Prairie View, TX  United States  77446
• Performing Organizations:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Principal Investigators:

  Mukhopadhyay, Anol

  Braley, John

  Gucunski, Nenad

• Start Date: 20260201
• Expected Completion Date: 20280131
• Actual Completion Date: 20280131
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 03-48-TTI

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Deterioration; Freeze thaw durability; Nondestructive tests
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Materials; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02001905
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Infrastructure Transformation
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344813, 69A3552348318
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 10 2026 8:27AM