Internally Cured Concrete May Lead To Crack-Resistant Bridge Decks

摘要

One of the greatest threats to the longevity of a concrete bridge deck comes from cracking. Cracks provide direct paths for deicing salts to seep in and attack the underlying steel, weakening the structure. But researchers at Purdue University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology have been working to develop a type of high-performance concrete that they say could be used to form crack-resistant bridge decks offering up to twice the service life of a conventional concrete deck. The secret to the concrete's durability is an internal curing process.