Bridge Deck Pavement Research Articles

Development and evaluation of a pothole patching material for steel bridge deck pavement

Pothole is one of the most serious distresses of steel bridge deck pavement. Rapid and durable patching material is required for pothole treatment to reduce the maintenance influence on transportation service. In this paper, a cold-mixed patching material was developed on the basis of a fast cured thermosetting binder. The optimal binder formula was determined by optimization and balancing of mechanical property, workability and strength development, through tensile tests, viscosity tests and differential scanning calorimetry tests. After that, the high temperature performance, low temperature performance, moisture susceptibility and fatigue performance of the newly developed material were evaluated through a laboratory experimental program, including wheel track test, 3-point bending beam test, indirect tensile test and fatigue test. On the other hand, a numerical simulation was conducted to assess the structural performance of the material when using on the steel bridge deck. The result showed that the developed binder material had tensile strength over 2MPa and elongation over 100%. The workable time was over 30 min and the favorable compaction time was 36 min after mixing at 25 °C. The patching material had a rapid traffic reopen capability in three hours. In addition, the developed material had rather good mechanical and structural performance when used in pothole patching on steel bridge deck pavement.

Bonding performance between ultra-high performance concrete and asphalt pavement layer

The bonding performance between the ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and asphalt pavement layers is crucial to prevent the interface of asphalt pavement and bridge deck from falling off. In order to improve the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt pavement layers, the surfaces of UHPC specimens were treated using four different techniques: spreading gravels, spreading steel balls, pickings and grooving. Through the pull-out and shear tests, the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt pavement layers was evaluated. The pull-out strength and shear strength were used to evaluate the influence of different surface patterns on the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt mixture layers. Additionally, the MATLAB software was employed to extract the digital image characteristic parameters of UHPC surfaces, and the neural network was constructed using the characteristic parameters to predict the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt pavement layers. Results show that the spreading gravels, spreading steel balls, broom picking, cutting machine picking and grooving can all improve the bonding performance. Among the techniques, the cutting machine picking has the most obvious improvement on the pull-out strength and shear strength. The accuracy of neural network prediction model is reliable, and the correlation between the predicted value and the measured value is high. The result is of great significance to enhance the bonding performance between UHPC bridge deck and asphalt pavement layer, thus improving the durability of UHPC bridge structures.

An Experimental Study on a Composite Bonding Structure for Steel Bridge Deck Pavements

As one of the major contributors to the early failures of steel bridge deck pavements, the bonding between steel and asphalt overlay has long been a troublesome issue. In this paper, a novel composite bonding structure was introduced consisting of epoxy resin micaceous iron oxide (EMIO) primer, solvent-free epoxy resin waterproof layer, and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) hot melt pellets. A series of strength tests were performed to study its mechanical properties, including pull-off strength tests, dumbbell tensile tests, lap shear tests, direct tension tests, and 45°-inclined shear tests. The results suggested that the bonding structure exhibited fair bonding strength, tensile strength, and shear strength. Anisotropic behaviour was also observed at high temperatures. For epoxy resin waterproof layer, the loss of bonding strength, tensile strength, and shear strength at 60°C was 70%, 35%, and 39%, respectively. Subsequent pavement performance-oriented tests included five-point bending tests and accelerated wheel tracking tests. The impacts of bonding on fatigue resistance and rutting propagation were studied. It was found that the proposed bonding structure could provide a durable and well-bonded interface and was thus beneficial to prolong the fatigue lives of asphalt overlay. The choice of bonding materials was found irrelevant to the ultimate rutting depth of pavements. But the bonding combination of epoxy resin waterproof and EVA pellets could delay the early-stage rutting propagation.

Mechanical and Antibacterial Behavior of Photocatalytic Lightweight Engineered Cementitious Composites

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in using cementitious materials as a catalyst-supporting media such as air-purifying paving block, self-cleaning exterior wall, and photocatalytic ceiling panel. Despite many works on photocatalytic cementitious materials, most of them were focused on the application of TiO2-based cement mortars. Little work has been done on the development of photocatalytic functionalities on highperformance fiber-reinforced cementitious composite (HPFRC). Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs), a class of HPFRC, have been used in a wide range of full-scale applications, from sprayed ECC for dam retrofitting to lightweight building facade and bridge deck pavement. In this work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) was incorporated into lightweight ECC. The influence of TiO2 and different lightweight ingredient materials on mechanical properties and antibacterial behavior based on Escherichia coli (E. coli) was investigated. Two types of lightweight aggregates were evaluated: fly ash cenospheres (FACs) and glass bubbles K-1. Furthermore, an air-entraining agent (AEA) was also evaluated to induce air bubbles to achieve lightweight ECC. The use of a glass bubble is preferable to achieve lightweight ECC with a density of around 890 kg/m3 (60% lower than normal ECC) while maintaining a tensile strain capacity of more than 3% with moderate tensile strength. At the same time, lightweight ECC using glass bubbles show the smallest number of viable bacteria after 240 min of ultraviolet (UV)/visible light exposure. The smallest number of viable bacteria indicates it has the highest antibacterial activity among lightweight ECC materials. The use of glass bubble significantly alters the pore structure of lightweight ECC, which improves the access to irradiate TiO2 particle. The incident photon could pass along the pore to activate more TiO2 particles for the photocatalytic process.

Experimental study on properties of epoxy binder and epoxy bonding chips layer for steel bridge deck pavement

The waterproof-adhesive layer (WAL) plays a critical waterproof role for steel bridge deck since the steel is prone to corrosion. It also plays a critical adhesive role, which ensures the coordinated deformation of steel bridge deck and pavement on it. The adhesion between epoxy binder and steel, and the workability, tensile shear strength, deformability, durability of epoxy binder were tested in laboratory. The adhesion between binders for WALs and steel was explained based on the surface free energy theory. Further, three different WALs were studied on their adhesion to steel with direct shear strength tests. It is found that the epoxy binder exhibited good shear strength, deformability, durability. Furthermore, the interface adhesion work between epoxy binder and steel was found largest among binders and the shear strength between the epoxy bonding chips layer (EBCL) and steel found largest. It concludes that the EBCL is an appropriate WAL for steel bridges.

An Experimental Study on Properties of Pre-Coated Aggregates Grouting Asphalt Concrete for Bridge Deck Pavement.

Epoxy asphalt concrete, mortar asphalt concrete and Gussasphalt concrete are commonly used types of deck pavement materials in bridge deck pavement engineering. However, achieving the high-temperature stability and anti-fatigue performance of the deck pavement materials is still challenging. In order to reduce the rutting and cracking risks of the asphalt mixture, this paper proposed pre-coated aggregates grouting asphalt concrete (PGAC) for bridge deck pavement. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the optimum grouting materials and to evaluate the mechanical performances of the PGAC material. Test results showed that the mechanical properties for PGAC with grouting material of high-viscosity-modified asphalt binder blending with mineral filler were superior to that of GMA-10 used for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge deck pavement. Microstructural analysis showed that the PGAC had a more stable skeleton structure compared to other typical aggregate mixtures. This study highlights the performances of the proposed PGAC and sheds light on the deck pavement material improvement of both high-temperature stability and anti-fatigue performance that could be achieved.

Developing a skid resistance prediction model for newly built pavement: application to a case study of steel bridge deck pavement

Skid resistance is vital to road safety. The skid resistance of steel bridge deck pavement (SBDP) is particularly important due to the special operating conditions and unique structure features for bridges. This study aims to propose an effective method to predict the skid resistance of newly built SBDP at the design stage. First, the experiment was designed by Taguchi method to get the skid resistance-related data. Secondly, sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of material design and construction factors on the skid resistance. Finally, a prediction model based on GA-BP neural network (back propagation network optimised by genetic algorithm) was developed. Results show that the mixture design parameters have stronger influences on the skid resistance than the construction factors of SBDP. From this study, the 9-14-1 (Input neurons – Hidden neurons – Output neuron) GA-BP model with the population size of 60 could yield an acceptable prediction result for the skid resistance.

Laboratory Research and Evaluation on Design and Application Performance of High-Performance Cold-Mix Resin.

To improve the safety of orthotropic steel bridge decks and the construction efficiency of bridge deck pavement by enhancing the performance of pavement materials, a new-generation, high-performance cold-mix resin was prepared by carrying out the combination of micro-characteristic analysis and performance test. Meanwhile, the pavement performance and fatigue performance of high-performance cold-mix resin mixtures and hot-mix epoxy saphalt mixtures as a control group were studied experimentally. The results show that different kinds of epoxy resins show bisphenol structure in essence. The curing exothermic peak temperature of the cold-mix resin increases with the heating rate. Both the specific heat capacity (△CP) of cold-mix resin and cold-mix resin asphalts exhibit a sudden change between −20 °C and 40 °C. In resin asphalt mixtures, cold-mix resin forms the network structure skeleton whereas the asphalt distributed in the form of tiny particles. The dosage of respective component has a significant effect on the tensile strength and elongation at break of cold-mix resin. Compared with hot-mix epoxy asphalt mixtures, cold-mix resin mixtures exhibit comparable water stability and high and low-temperature performance, as well as greater fatigue life.

Development and Laboratory Evaluation of a Cold Mix High-Early-Strength Epoxy Asphalt Concrete for Steel Bridge Deck Pavements.

Epoxy asphalt concrete (EAC) is a widely used steel bridge deck pavement (SBDP) material. Due to the curing reaction, the EAC-based material needs a long curing period before opening to traffic, which in an inconvenience in the construction of SBDP. This study developed a cold mix high-early-strength (CHES) epoxy asphalt through the design of a compatilizer and curing agent system. The optimum formula of CHES epoxy asphalt was determined through a series of laboratory tests. By comparison of the performances of CHES EAC and some conventional EACs for SBDP, it was found that the developed CHES epoxy asphalt can significantly reduce the curing period, and the pavement performance of CHES EAC is, overall, excellent for application in SBDP. In addition, the sufficient allowable construction duration shows that the CHES EAC has a good construction workability.

Performance of steel bridge deck pavement structure with ultra high performance concrete based on resin bonding

Performance of steel bridge deck pavement structure with ultra high performance concrete based on resin bonding

Force analysis of fabricated box girder bridge based on auxiliary structure

Prefabricated small box girder bridges have been widely used in urban viaducts and highway bridges at home and abroad. Concrete deck paving and guardrails are well bonded to the main girder, which contributes to the rigidity of the main girder structure. Ignoring the influence of the auxiliary structure of the bridge deck will cause a certain deviation between the structure and the actual state. This paper takes the prefabricated box girder bridge as an example, using the finite element method to analyze the variation of the lateral distribution coefficient of the bridge deck and guardrail and the degree of influence on the main girder force. The calculation results show that the bridge deck pavement has little effect on the lateral distribution coefficient of the main girder, the increase in the rigidity of the main girder by the guardrail cannot be ignored, and the difference in the bearing capacity and stress of the side main girder is significant.

An innovative interface reinforcement method for steel bridge deck pavement pothole repair

Due to the special supporting condition, severe environment and high traffic load, pothole distress becomes very common in steel bridge deck pavement (SBDP). In this paper, an interface reinforcement method considering the mechanical response characteristic of SBDP pothole interface was designed and presented, which involves of adhesive layer, non-woven fabrics (NWF) layer, and ultra-thin asphalt overlay (UTAO). To assess the effectiveness and present a theoretical basis for this proposed technique, the mechanical response changes of reinforced SBDP pothole interface were clarified through finite element models (FEMs) in consideration of NWF orthotropic elastoplastic properties in this article. Furthermore, bonding performance between NWF and SBDP, direct cracking resistance performance and anti-fatigue performance of the interface reinforcement were evaluated through direct pulling test, three-point bending test and fatigue beam test, respectively. Results show that this innovative method using NWF layer and UTAO can mitigate horizontal tensile stress state in SBDP pothole interface obviously. The direct and fatigue cracking resistance of the repair interface also improve greatly. It is a suitable method to guide SBDP pothole repair, and the strength and durability of the repaired interface are comparable to that of a newly constructed SBDP.

Decision Method of Bridge Deck Pavement Maintenance Based on the Decision Maker’s Objective

The performance of reinforced concrete bridge deck pavement will be gradually reduced with the increase of operation time, so the reasonable maintenance measures should be taken to ensure the performance and safety of the bridge structures. The objectives and their hierarchical structures from both state position and enterprise position of the decision makers in bridge engineering decision-making problems were discussed. By the existing deterioration model, this paper studies the bridge operation safety maintenance strategy, establishes the mathematical model of the influence of different degrees of maintenance measures on the structural performance, combines with the cost-benefit theory, establishes the maintenance risk decision criteria for the decision makers with different objectives, and makes the decision on the selection of the bridge deck pavement scheme based on the enterprise position through an example.

Micro-structure characteristics of unsaturated polyester resin modified concrete under fatigue loads and hygrothermal environment

To explore the evolution characteristics about the microstructure of unsaturated polyester resin modified concrete (UPMC) for bridge deck pavement under two regimes: the single-load action and the interaction of hygrothermal effect and fatigue load, the four-stage experimental programs were arranged. The micromorphological characteristics of micro-crack and pore structure and the micromechanical properties of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) corresponding to the cementitious composites were quantitatively characterized and evaluated through micro-structure analysis approaches and digitized image manipulation. The experimental results demonstrated that the addition of hygrothermal effect would profoundly aggravate the deterioration of crack and pore structure and expedite the ITZ expansion concerning bridge paving concretes under the action of fatigue load. Furthermore, with regard to the concrete microstructure under external action, the incorporation of unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) might restrain crack propagation and depress cracks irregularities, exert a refinement and homogenization effect on the porous structure and reduce the expansion thickness of ITZ.

Study on performance of new type cold mix epoxy asphalt and mixture for steel deck pavement

In order to improve the performance of steel bridge deck pavement material, improve the construction efficiency and reduce the cost of steel bridge deck pavement, this paper introduces a new type of cold mixed epoxy asphalt, and studies the mechanical properties and curing law of the material through Marshall test. The results show that it has good mechanical properties, and the curing days at room temperature are 2-3 days. Based on the test data, compared with the United States and Japan, this paper analyzes the remarkable characteristics of the cold mix epoxy asphalt, which has the advantages of normal temperature construction, long retention time, good operability, low construction cost, less curing days, early opening of traffic, low material cost and reducing energy consumption. If it is used as the paving material for steel bridge deck, it has a broad application prospect.

Sustainability Levels in Comparison with Mechanical Properties and Durability of Pumice High-Performance Concrete

In the production of cement and concrete, mechanical and durable properties are essential, along with reasonable cost and sustainability. This study aimed to apply an evaluation procedure of the level of sustainability of mixtures of high-performance concretes (HPC) with various eco-friendly supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). The major supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), namely, volcanic pumice pozzolan (VPP), Class C and F fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag of grade 120, silica fume, and metakaolin, were included. Twenty-seven concrete mixtures were analyzed using a previously presented comprehensive material sustainability indicator in a cost-effective variant. The results indicated that the rank of the concretes differed at 28, 56, and 91 days after concreting. In addition, the study showed no correlation of strength and diffusion parameters with sustainability indicators. Finally, this study will contribute to the optimal selection of mixtures of HPC with VPP in terms of sustainability, cost, and durability for future implementation in reinforced concrete bridge deck slabs and pavements. The values of sustainability indicators for pumice-based mixtures were compared with those for other SCMs, highlighting the sustainable performance of volcanic ash-based SCM.

A Comprehensive Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Approach Developed for Steel Bridge Deck Pavement Schemes

This study aims to evaluate the economy of a steel bridge deck pavement scheme (SBDPS) using a comprehensive life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis approach. The SBDPS are divided into the “epoxy asphalt concrete system” (EA system) and “Gussasphalt concrete system” (GA system) according to the difference in the material in the lower layer of the SBDPS. A targeted LCC checklist, including manager cost and user cost was proposed, and a Markov-based approach was applied to establish a life-cycle performance model with clear probability characteristics for SBDPS. Representative traffic conditions were designed using a uniform design method, and the LCC of SBDPS under representative traffic conditions and different credibility (construction quality as a random factor) was compared. The reliability of the LCC analysis approach was verified based on the uncertainty analysis method. Based on an expert-scoring approach, a user cost weight was obtained to ensure it is considered reasonably in the LCC analysis. Compared with the cumulative traffic volume, the cumulative equivalent single axle loads (CESAL) have a closer relationship with the LCC. The GA system has better LCC when the CESAL is less, while the EA system is just the opposite. The breaking point of CESAL for the LCC of the EA system and the GA system is 15 million times. The LCC analysis of SBDPS should consider the influence of random factors such as construction quality. The comprehensive LCC analysis approach in this paper can provide suggestions for bridge-management departments to make a reasonable selection on SBDPS.

Performance evaluation of polyurethane/epoxy resin modified asphalt as adhesive layer material for steel-UHPC composite bridge deck pavements

Polyurethane/epoxy resin modified asphalt (PEA) has substantial potential in functioning as adhesive layer material for steel-ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) composite bridge deck pavements. In this research, the curing process of PEA was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and fluorescence microscopy (FM) tests. Furthermore, mechanical and engineering performances of PEA were evaluated and further compared with those of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified asphalt by viscosity test, tensile test, pull-out test, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test. Results indicate that during the curing process of PEA, the polyurethane/epoxy resin undergoes a reaction with curing agent to form an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure with a phase transition of polyurethane/epoxy resin from a dispersed phase to a continuous phase. The viscosity of PEA is affected by the asphalt content and temperature. PEA possesses excellent mechanical properties due to the formation of IPN structure and the toughening effect of asphalt. The high-temperature stability of PEA is far better than that of SBS modified asphalt. Additionally, the low-temperature cracking resistance and waterproof performances of PEA can meet the requirements of the adhesive layer well.

Developing cold-mixed epoxy resin-based ultra-thin antiskid surface layer for steel bridge deck pavement

To improve the skid resistance of epoxy asphalt-based concrete (EAC) pavement, a cold-mixed ultra-thin antiskid surface layer (UTASS) was developed and incorporated into the EAC pavement in this study. The performances of four types of epoxy resin-based binders were assessed. The best binder type was selected and UTASS preparation procedures were determined. Subsequently, the skid resistance, high-temperature rutting resistance, low temperature cracking resistance, and interlayer bonding properties of the EAC-UTASS composite structure (with the UTASS on the top of the EAC) were evaluated using a series of tests, and the performances of EAC-UTASS were compared with several other composite structures that are commonly used in the steel bridge deck pavement (SBDP) in China. The results showed that the texture depth of EAC-UTASS is almost 10 times of that of the pavement composite structures with an EAC surfacing structure. In addition, EAC-UTASS has excellent high-temperature rutting resistance, low-temperature cracking resistance and interlayer bonding stability. Finally, a stripping resistance test was utilized to evaluate the UTASS based on a third-scale Model Mobile Loading Simulator (MMLS3). The service life of UTASS was determined based on the anti-stripping coefficient threshold value of 80%. Based on the results in this study, the use of the UTASS was found to be a feasible strategy for enhancing the skid resistance of EAC pavement.

Analysis of alkali leaching mechanism on as-built cement concrete bridge deck pavement

A new distress type, namely alkali leaching, was recently observed to have developed on an as-built dense-graded asphalt concrete (DGAC) paved on a cement concrete bridge deck in China. Not only does alkali leaching affect the aesthetic appearance of the cement concrete bridge deck pavement (CCBDP) due to the distinctive color contrast, it also creates a potential threat to the service life of the bridge. In this paper, an alkali leaching distressed section of a CCBDP in Shaanxi Province (China) was studied. The study results indicated that whitish spots cannot be removed by natural water. In situ pH measurements indicated highly alkalinine materials appear on the surface of pavement layers. Based on these findings, the formation mechanism of alkali leaching on CCBDP was analyzed. The corresponding results showed that the main mineral of alkali leaching was Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). Under wet conditions, rainwater infiltrates into the cement bridge deck from the sides of the pavement. Continuous exposure to moisture or humid environments facilitates the subsequent hydration to generate Ca(OH)2, which is the alkaline source for alkali leaching. The generated Ca(OH)2 migrates with rainwater to the pavement surface through capillary action. With the repeated circles of wet and dry conditions, the in-situ carbonation products lead to formation of alkali leaching on the pavement surface.