Title:
Reducing Drying Shrinkage of Bridge-Deck Concrete
Author(s):
Brian L. Cope and George E. Ramey
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
23
Issue:
8
Appears on pages(s):
76-82
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
8/1/2001
Abstract:
Concrete shrinkage is a primary cause of bridge deck cracking, and in turn, deck cracking is a primary cause of premature deck deterioration and reduced durability. Thus, actions to minimize shrinkage and deck cracking should be identified and explored. Closely examining the fresh and hardened behavior and properties of shrinkage-compensating concrete (SCC) and concrete employing shrinkage reducing agents (SRA) as an admixture was the purpose of this research. The research work was limited to performing laboratory testing on fresh and hardened concrete for four mixture designs. One of the mixtures was the Alabama Department of Transportation’s (ALDOT) standard structural concrete which was used in the study as a control. The others were a SCC mixture, a SCC with micro silica mixture, and an ALDOT standard mixture with a SRA admixture. Primary results from the fresh and hardened property testing are reported.