National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

Bridge decks are the first major bridge component typically requiring major repair or complete replacement. In the early 2000's a new class of cement-based material - known as Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) - has become available. UHPC is nearly impenetrable and has many other high quality attributes. Unfortunately, the cost of UHPC remains high and strategic use is required. A bridge will soon be constructed that has a deck comprised of traditional concrete plus a UHPC course overtop. This configuration is hoped to provide a cost-effective and long-life bridge deck. This first in USA project needs to be monitoring during construction and for a period post-construction to document its performance and lessons learned.