National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

Various environmental and mechanical stressors cause deterioration of concrete bridge decks. Normal wear and tear, freeze and thaw cycles, and chloride penetration due to deicing salts can cause aggressive deterioration that usually requires frequent interventions during the life-cycle of the bridge. These interventions include deck maintenance and repairs (e.g., application of sealers or overlay placement) as well as bridge deck replacement. The quantification of the life-cycle cost of bridge decks considering maintenance and repair activities represents a significant challenge facing local and state transportation agencies. The proposed research will attempt to fill in the knowledge gaps in quantifying the indirect costs associated with bridge deck maintenance and their impact on the overall bridge life-cycle cost. The proposed project focuses on introducing an approach that: (a) characterizes the life-cycle maintenance needs and repair intervals associated with bridge decks constructed using various reinforcement alternatives in FHWA Region-6, (b) develops a systematic methodology for quantifying the impact of bridge maintenance on indirect life-cost including the effect of increased travel time, work zone crashes, operating cost, greenhouse gas emissions, and social losses, and (c) compares different steel reinforcement materials (e.g., regular, epoxy coated, galvanized, stainless steel, and MMFX) based on their long term performance and maintenance requirements.