National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

Delamination of bridge decks at the interface between precast concrete deck panels and the cast-in-place concrete portion has been observed which causes non-composite behavior and results in deck damage which affects the serviceability and durability of bridge decks. The main objective of this research project is to develop implementation methods in the laboratory for repairing delaminated partial-depth precast bridge deck panels using epoxy injection from below the bridge deck and provide recommendations for field implementation. The topic of this project is important since recent failures of partial depth bridge decks have shown that closure of the bridge may be required for removal and replacement. The current repair method involves removing complete sections of the deck and replacing them with rapid hardening hydraulic cement concrete. If the research is successful, the bridge deck repair can be performed from below the bridge deck without interruption to traffic and the installation could be verified. This benefits UDOT in that there would not be delays or closures of such bridge decks. This research builds on a recently completed Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) study by further experimenting with repairing delaminated partial-depth precast bridge decks by using epoxy injection from below the deck.