Condition Assessment Technology for Bridge Decks with Waterproofing Membranes
The condition assessment of reinforced concrete (R/C) bridge decks with waterproofing membranes and asphalt overlays is a significant challenge that has limited the use of this corrosion-protection strategy. State departments of transportation (DOTs) with existing inventories of bridge decks with waterproofing are unable to make effective repair and rehabilitation decisions because there is no way to assess the condition of the deck concealed by the waterproofing system. Some highway agencies do not use waterproofing membranes or asphalt overlays for the same reason. Bare R/C decks can be assessed easily by traditional methods such as sounding or chain drag, but bridge decks with a waterproofing membrane and asphalt comprise several layers of different materials that preclude the use of these traditional methods. Defects can occur within the R/C decks (delamination) or between the layers (debonding), and chloride-contaminated moisture can be entrapped between the layers. The presence of these subsurface defects affects heat flow through the multi-layer medium, producing subtle variations in the asphalt surface temperature, which are too small to be detected using conventional infrared thermography. More advanced nondestructive methods have also not proven successful. For NCHRP 20-30/IDEA 262, the research team will develop a new nondestructive technology based on time-lapse thermography to assess the condition of R/C bridge decks with a waterproofing membrane and asphalt overlay. The proposed research will explore if subtle surface temperature variations can be reliably detected by using a time-lapse thermography approach, which collects thermal data over time to assess time-varying thermal behavior rather than simply measuring surface temperatures. This helps increase sensitivity, potentially enabling more effective imaging of debonding, delamination in the R/C deck, and areas of entrapped moisture. The proposed technology serves a high-priority need of state DOTs that own in-service decks with waterproofing. Working with DOT partners (New Hampshire and Nebraska DOTs), deck materials will be evaluated to obtain more detailed information on the thermal properties of membranes in relation to the proposed measurement method. Measurement algorithms will be developed using a modeling and simulation approach that is currently being used for subsurface damage detection. Following laboratory characterizations to assess the measurement procedures and to obtain needed measurement parameters, field validation of the developed procedure will be performed.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $140,000.00
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Contract Numbers:
Project 20-30, IDEA 262
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Sponsor Organizations:
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Project Managers:
Jawed, Inam
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Performing Organizations:
Fuchs Consulting, Inc.
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Principal Investigators:
Fuchs, Paul
- Start Date: 20240101
- Expected Completion Date: 0
- Actual Completion Date: 0
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Condition surveys; Nondestructive tests; Pavement overlays; Reinforced concrete bridges; Thermographs; Waterproofing
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01993234
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
- Contract Numbers: Project 20-30, IDEA 262
- Files: TRB, RIP
- Created Date: Jun 23 2026 1:40PM