Repair of Concrete Bridge Deck Expansion Joints Using Elastomeric Concrete
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 20, Issue 3
Abstract
The deterioration and failure of bridge deck expansion joints is an ever-growing concern among bridge researchers and designers alike. Deterioration of bridge deck expansion joints can lead to the decay of the structure beneath it, and dangerous debris can materialize in the roadway. Although repair methods vary throughout the United States, guidelines for the repair of bridge deck expansion joints do not currently exist. The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary data for the behavior of bridge deck expansion joints repaired with elastomeric concrete. The experimental study included 30 test specimens simulating the failure and repair of existing bridge deck expansion joints. The blockouts used various configurations filled with elastomeric concrete to determine the capacity of the repairs under a combination of simulated wheel and braking loads. The results showed the capacity of the repair to be more dependent on the depth of the blockouts rather than the longitudinal dimension in the direction of the roadway, while further investigation also showed a correlation with the aspect ratio of the blockouts.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the Louisiana Transportation Research Center and the Transportation Innovation for Research Exploration Program. They also express appreciation to the technical staff and students of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for their assistance in the preparation and testing of the specimens. The authors also express gratitude to R. J. Watson for assistance during the project.
References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 20 • Issue 3 • August 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 1, 2013
Accepted: May 27, 2014
Published online: Jul 1, 2014
Published in print: Aug 1, 2015
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