Project Details

Abstract

Resilient and durable overlays are critical for enhancing the service life of bridge decks by shielding them against harmful effects of water, chemicals, and abrasion. Currently, polymer concrete overlays are widely employed for bridge decks. Polymer concrete overlays outperform conventional concrete topping overlays. However, instances of polymer concrete overlay debonding have been encountered. Moreover, polymer concrete overlays utilize proprietary materials and are costly in price. A new class of material, Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is emerging as a promising bridge-deck overlay material owing to its ultra ductile tensile crack-resistance, lower elastic modulus, and high durability characteristics. ECC overlays can provide a lightweight, cost-effective, and sustainable solution for rehabilitating and protecting bridge decks. The overarching goal of this study is to develop a comprehensive understanding on the behavior of ECC as an overlay material. The primary objectives of the study are to develop and characterize non-proprietary ECC mixture suitable for overlay applications, evaluate and compare the strength, shrinkage, and bond characteristics of ECC with other polymer and cementitious (UHPC) overlays, and to assess the flexural performance of overlay-substrate system by testing representative slabs with ECC, polymer, and UHPC overlay materials.

Project Word Files