Title: Modeling the Service Life Performance of Bridge Deck Overlays

Author(s): Neal S. Berke and Ali N. Inceefe

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 351

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 97-109

Keywords: corrosion; cost analysis; deck overlay; service life analysis; silica fume

DOI: 10.14359/51734677

Date: 4/1/2022

Abstract:
Major bridges are requiring extended service lives of 100 years or more. This requires the use of high performance concretes and often enhanced corrosion protection provided by improved corrosion resistance of the reinforcing bars by using alloying, coatings, and/or corrosion inhibitors. Producing the entire bridge deck out of high performance concrete can lead to excessive cracking due to autogenous and drying shrinkage. Though this can be reduced by using shrinkage reducing admixtures or lightweight fines, the cost to implement these techniques for a full deck is high. However, a high performance concrete overlay uses considerably less high performance concrete, and as such can reduce the overall cost of the bridge deck and potentially allow for use of a more user friendly, less costly base concrete. This paper models the service life of a bridge deck using a high performance overlay. A probabilistic approach is used and the effect of cracking is included.