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The performance of polymer concrete bridge deck overlays ranging in age from 6 to 19 years is presented. The performance is based on tests for tensile bond strength, permeability to chloride ion, thickness and skid number. The physical and mechanical properties of the concretes used, the types of uses, the application methods, and the economics, are also described. It is shown that multiple-layer epoxy, multiple-layer epoxy urethane, and premixed polyester styrene polymer concrete overlays can provide skid resistance and protection against intrusion by chloride ions for 20 years or more and are an economical technique for extending the life of concrete decks reinforced with black steel, particularly when overlays must be constructed during off-peak traffic periods to minimize inconvenience to motorists. Also, multiple-layer polyester overlays have a life of ten years.

The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge was designed for six lanes of automobiles on a lightweight concrete upper deck. Two lanes of truck traffic with a third switch lane supported on a conventional concrete slab shared the lower deck space with two commuter rail tracks. Instead of using paint to delineate the lanes on the upper deck, ceramic tile embedded into a concrete mortar wear coat acted as a lane striping. This eliminated the paint re-striping maintenance operation. It was expected that the bridge could operate that way for a long time when it was opened to traffic with much fanfare, automobile caravans and political speeches on November 12, 1936. The bridge carried approximately 25,000 vehicles per day during its first year. In 1957, the commuter rail line ceased to operate. Traffic volume had increased to nearly 100,000 vehicles per day while 25% of the capacity of the bridge was not beiig utilized. In 1958 the reconstruction of the Bay Bridge began. The rails were removed, precast lightweight concrete panels were added, the approaches to the two decks were modified and the upper deck was strengthened to accommodate the new truck loading. In 1963, trffic capacity was increased by converting the facility into five unidirectional mixed vehicle and truck traffic lanes on each deck. To do so required removing or covering the embedded ceramic tile lane boundaries. Removal would be tedious and patching the resulting holes expensive. The alternative of covering them with a thin surfacing was easier and, in addition, protected the concrete deck which was beginning to show some transverse cracking and chloride intrusion. A coal-tar epoxy binder with quartz beach sand broadcasted over the sprayed-on binder was applied yielding a total thickness of approximately 5 mm. The lower deck was resurfaced in 1964 utilizing the same system. The coal-tar epoxy held up

Sulfur concrete (SC) has been used successfully as an overlay to protect hydraulic concrete from attack in highly corrosive environments The SC dealt with in this paper is based on Canadian technology which uses a sulfur cement composed principally of thermodynamically stable, microcrystalline sulfur. Methods for the production and placement of this SC are discussed, together with several case histories of its use as an overlay on hydraulic concrete. Field experience has shown SC to be a durable, cost-effective overlay with many of the attractive physical characteristics of polymer concretes, such as high resistance to corrosion and abrasion, impermeability and high physical strength.. Being a hot mix, produced in a modified asphalt plant, it must be placed as an overlay in a thickness of at least 3 in.(7.5 cm) unless the substrate has been warmed. SC overlays can be placed with vibrating screeds and with slightly modified asphalt and concrete paving machines

The use of concrete-polymer materials for bridge deck rehabilitation has been increasing in the United States since the 1970’~“~. As demands on worldwide transportation increase, the need for improved methods of rehabilitation and maintenance of bridges continues to grow. At the same time, more than 40% of the 500,000 highway bridges in the United States are now classified as structurally or functionally deficient3. This crumbling of the nation’s infrastructure has allowed cost-effective, alternative methods to be utilized, extending the life span on many of these bridges. Various polymer concretes have been used as overlay materials since the 1950’s. Project requirements, as well as product limitations have changed considerably over this time as improvements are continually made to the process. Recommendations are made to improve project specifications in the following areas: tensile elongation, abrasion resistance, water absorption, chloride ion permeability, and quality standards.

This paper reports on the overall field performance and some of the lessons learned from more than 100 thin polymer overlays in the province of Alberta, Canada. These overlays were applied between 1985 and 1995 as maintenance work to existing concrete decks, where it was thought that protection against moisture and chloride absorption was needed to reduce the rate of bridge deck deterioration. The paper is intended to answer the basic question what has been learned from ten years of thin overlay experience? Two measures of field performance are presented on overlays in service for up to ten years with special attention to overlays aged from eight to ten years. Various types of polymer overlay failures are discussed. The reported field performance suggests that different proprietary polymer overlay materials have varying degrees of resistance to degradation by ultraviolet radiation. The physical properties of the proprietary overlay materials change with time and exposure conditions. The materials appear to lose flexibility and compatibility with concrete at diiering rates. Field performance indicates that the type of aggregate used in the thin overlay systems also affects the overlay performance and compatibility with concrete. The aggregates contribute significantly to the durability of the overlays. Workmanship, as reflected by contractor experience, is shown to be a significant service life factor. Field experience shows that polymer overlays have been effective in increasing the durability of non-air-entrained concrete exposed to aggressive environments, but the effectiveness was reduced when reflective cracks propagate from the deck through the polymer overlay. Most bridge deck cracks have not reflected through the overlays after eight to ten years in service and remain sealed by the polymer overlays. Reflective cracks are different from most bridge deck cracks in that they require special repairs to prevent propagation through the overlay within a period of several years.