Accelerated Concrete and Maturity Testing for Rapid Replacement of Bridge Decks

摘要

An accelerated concrete mixture for deck replacement of an elevated steel viaduct has been developed using the maturity test method of ASTM C 1074. The subject viaduct carries six to nine lanes of high volume traffic with a significant percentage of trucks and consists of 322 spans with steel bents and stringers and cast-in-place concrete decks. The main objective of the project is to achieve concrete design strength within 12 to 15 hours, while reducing the potential for cracking by delaying both set time and peak internal temperature. Improvements over an existing accelerated concrete mixture have been achieved primarily by increasing large aggregate content and accelerating admixture dosage, while maintaining desirable workability and durability characteristics. In contrast to the recent NCHRP Report 540 on early-opening-to-traffic concrete for pavement rehabilitation, the accelerated concrete mixture in concert with the maturity method has been developed specifically for rapid deck replacement. Described in this article is the testing program, including results from laboratory testing and in-progress results from field testing.