Construction of Bridge Decks with Pre-Cast, Pre-Stressed Concrete Deck Planks

Abstract

The research analyzes the use of precast prestressed concrete deck planks in the construction of bridge decks. Will the use of these precast prestressed styles PPC’s aid in the durability of the construction, or will there be issues in the initial stages itself that has to be handled? And whether these constructions are in any way cost effective (as in lower number of rejection rates of the planks manufactured) are some the questions that are investigated here. A case study based research method has been adopted here. The case study is that of the bridge deck replacements that were carried out by the Illinois Department of transportation in 1999-2000. The bridge deck replacements were done by means of PPCs. The research also aims to find whether the bridge deck replacements that were carried out had early performance issues. It was established that there were indeed early performance issues, but these could be mitigated by means of load testing and the use of high-grade materials.