Project Details
SPR-RE25(008)-8H-00, HR-3045, 23-867
07/01/23
07/24/26
Federal Highway Administration
Iowa Department of Transportation
Researchers
Zhengyu Liu
About the research
This study documented the construction and early performance of a bridge deck on Iowa Highway 5 near Centerville, Iowa, that incorporated the Chem-Crete Multi-Crystalline Enhancer (MCE) concrete admixture and the Chem-Crete PAVIX CCC100 surface treatment. The objective was to observe and document construction activities, evaluate the practicality of implementing the products in the field, and monitor bridge deck performance for cracking, moisture intrusion, and chloride penetration.
Construction activities, including a test pour, bridge deck placement, and surface sealer application, were observed and documented. A third-party post-construction evaluation reported laboratory and material-property improvements in the concrete, including increased compressive strength, reduced permeability, reduced chloride penetration, reduced drying shrinkage, and improved workability. Bridge deck performance was monitored through periodic site visits, visual inspections, deck surface temperature measurements, and chloride ion sampling through spring 2026.
Field observations indicated that the bridge deck has generally performed similarly to other recently constructed bridge decks in Iowa during its early years of service, with no appreciable improvement in early-age cracking. Cracking was observed throughout the deck, primarily in the transverse direction.
Chloride ion testing showed higher concentrations near the deck surface and a decrease with depth. Comparisons between areas where the PAVIX surface treatment had been applied and untreated areas did not show a measurable reduction in chloride ingress in the PAVIX-treated areas during the monitoring period. Chloride concentrations generally increased between the 2025 and 2026 sampling events but remained concentrated near the deck surface.
The bridge deck has exhibited performance consistent with other recently constructed bridge decks during the monitoring period. While the MCE admixture and PAVIX treatment show promise for improving durability in laboratory settings, continued long-term monitoring is recommended to determine whether these materials provide measurable reductions in moisture and chloride ingress, lower maintenance requirements, and extended bridge deck service life.