National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

Bridge decks usually have a minimum service life of 50 years, but many bridge decks in Texas far exceed that value and are showing concerning signs of deck soffit cracking. Deck replacement is performed to take advantage of the good existing condition of the super- and sub-structures, however, since replacement is expensive (up to 40% of the cost of a new bridge), especially over concrete girders, it is critical to have sound decision and appropriate design and construction methods for this work to protect public safety and use bridge preservation funds wisely. While life-cycle cost analysis can be beneficial when assessing the overall deck condition relative to the condition of the rest of the deck, it does not address the risk of a punch through failure. The outcomes of this project will aid Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT's) Bridge Division and districts to have accurate assessments of cast-in-place (CIP) bridge deck conditions to make sound decisions about emergency repairs, regular repairs, deck overlay, and deck replacement to preserve bridge assets while minimizing the risk of punch through.