CONDITION SURVEY OF OLDER WEST VIRGINIA BRIDGE DECKS CONSTRUCTED WITH EPOXY-COATED REINFORCING BARS

摘要

Chloride-induced corrosion of steel reinforcing bars is a major cause of deterioration in concrete bridgedecks in northern climates. Corrosion resistant epoxy-coated reinforcing (ECR) bars were introduced inthe 1970s. In 1993, West Virginia Department of Transportation performed surveys of bridge decksreinforced with ECR and uncoated bars built in the mid-1970s. While deterioration was observed onuncoated bar decks, deterioration of the decks reinforced with ECR was found to be very limited. Thiscurrent investigation consisted of a questionnaire and review of the condition reports of the decksexamined by the WVDOT in 1993, followed by field condition surveys of six of the decks built with ECRto determine how the ECR is performing.The six bridge decks inspected were in good to excellent condition with the exception of twospans of Bridge No. 2930, which, as learned during this investigation, were reinforced with uncoatedblack bar. The ECR reinforced decks exhibited less than 0.15 percent corrosion-induced deterioration.Any deterioration observed on ECR decks was concentrated at cracks or construction joints. All activelycorroding ECR bars had average coating thickness less than 7 mils, the current minimum specifiedthickness.The decks reinforced with uncoated black bars included in the 1993 study had an initial servicelife of 18 to 21 years, and an overlay has been applied to all of these decks to address corrosion-relateddamage. The decks constructed with ECR are now 33 to 35 years old, and none have requiredrehabilitation to address corrosion-related deterioration.