Bridge Engineering Center

About the research

Bridge decks are often the first bridge component requiring major repair or complete replacement. Since the early 2000’s, a new class of cement–based materials, known as ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), has become available. UHPC is nearly impenetrable and has many other high–quality attributes. A bridge will soon be constructed that has a deck comprised of traditional concrete plus a UHPC overlay course. The objective of this study is to monitor and evaluate the construction of the two–course deck as well as the performance of the deck for 2 years post–construction. The study will consist of a literature review of two–course decks and UHPC overlay construction to determine best practices; field monitoring during construction to document construction quality; a laboratory investigation of the two–course deck system to assess its durability; load tests and field monitoring for 2 years; and service life and life–cycle cost analyses to compare the performance of the two–course deck system with that of more typical deck systems. The final deliverables will communicate the lessons learned from the project and provide guidance for future design, construction, and QA/QC practices regarding bridge deck construction using a UHPC top course.