Polyethylene Duct Cracking on Posttensioning Tendons in Florida Segmented Bridges
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 4
Abstract
During the past 20-plus years, designs based on the post-tension segmental concrete box concept have evolved to become prominent in bridge construction. Critical to the safety and longevity of such structures is the integrity of post-tensioning tendons. However, during the past five years, several Florida bridges have suffered tendon deterioration and failure because of strand corrosion at grout voids in which bleed water had accumulated. In some cases, the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) ducts within which the grouted strands reside had cracked. Although none of the tendon failures to date have been related to the HDPE duct cracking, left unaddressed moisture, chlorides, and oxygen will invariably corrode strands in the long-term. In order to assess the cause(s) and mechanism(s) of HDPE duct cracking, fatigue tests were performed upon duct samples retrieved from representative bridges and the results were compared with those from (1) material property determinations of the corresponding ducts, (2) experiments on simulated tendons that were subjected to thermal cycling, and (3) finite element analyses. Based on the outcomes, a mechanism is proposed for the duct cracking and time-to-cracking projections are made for ducts that are still sound.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are indebted to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for financial support of this research and for helpful guidance and access to structures throughout. Appreciation is expressed to Mr. George Jones, Mr. Florent David, and Miss Cynthia Baxindine for assistance with the experiments. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the FDOT.
References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 4 • August 2006
Pages: 581 - 587
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 26, 2005
Accepted: Jun 28, 2005
Published online: Aug 1, 2006
Published in print: Aug 2006
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Kiang-Hwee Tan
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