Development and Construction of Low-Cracking High-Performance Concrete (LC-HPC) Bridge Decks: Free Shrinkage, Mixture Optimization and Concrete Production

摘要

The development and evaluation of low-cracking high-performance concrete (LC-HPC) for use in bridge decks is described based on laboratory test results and experience gained during the construction of 14 bridges. The study is divided into three parts covering the development of an aggregate optimization and concrete mixture design program entitled KU Mix, free-shrinkage tests to evaluate potential LC-HPC mixtures developed for use in bridge decks, and the construction and preliminary evaluation of LC-HPC bridge decks constructed in Kansas. This report emphasizes the material aspects of the construction process, design, and environmental factors affecting the performance of LC-HPC bridge decks. Bridge deck cracking is a well-documented and well-studied problem, and while there is much agreement on practices that contribute to cracking, there are still many questions that exist, especially with regard to the implementation of techniques to reduce cracking in the field. This study bridges that gap through the development and implementation of techniques to construct LC-HPC bridge decks.