Extend Service Life of Concrete Bridges Decks with Internal Curing

The EPIC2 initiative, one of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) EDC-7 innovations, investigates the implementation of Internally Cured Concrete. This emerging technology shows potential benefits such as improved project life cycle costs and enhanced sustainability when implemented in New Jersey, particularly for bridge deck applications. The process involves replacing a portion of normal fine aggregate with prewetted Lightweight Fine Aggregate (LWFA), which stores water inside fine aggregate particles. These particles are evenly distributed through the concrete matrix and slowly releases their trapped moisture during the curing process, providing a more consistent curing effect. High performance concrete (HPC) particularly benefits from this process due to its low permeability which reduces the effectiveness of conventional curing. HPC is also known for its rapid hydration and strength gain which increases sensitivity to early age cracking under restrained conditions, such as those existing in a cast in place bridge deck. This project investigates numerous internal curing materials for usage in NJDOT internally cured HPC (HPIC) and proposes methodology for implementation in New Jersey.

• Record URL:
  • https://njdottechtransfer.net/research_projects/extend-service-life-of-concrete-bridges-decks-with-internal-curing/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $400000
• Contract Numbers:

  23-60186

• Sponsor Organizations:

  New Jersey Department of Transportation

  1035 Parkway Avenue
  Trenton, NJ  United States  08625

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Infrastructure
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  New Jersey Department of Transportation

  1035 Parkway Avenue
  Trenton, NJ  United States  08625
• Project Managers:

  Ukpah, Priscilla

• Performing Organizations:

  Rutgers University, Piscataway

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  623 Bowser Road
  Piscataway, NJ  United States  08854
• Principal Investigators:

  Nassif, Hani

• Start Date: 20231115
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20251201
• USDOT Program: Infrastructure
• USDOT Program: Transportation, Planning, Research, and Development
• Subprogram: Bridge Safety
• Subprogram: Structural Concrete

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Concrete bridges; Concrete curing; Life cycle costing; Lightweight aggregates; Service life
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01899350
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: New Jersey Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 23-60186
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 15 2023 5:59PM