Prevention of Cracks in Concrete Bridge Decks. Report on Observations of BridgeDecks Constructed with Inverted Reinforcing Steel

摘要

The report focuses on one solution to control shrinkage cracking by placing thelongitudinal reinforcement on top of the transverse bars and, therefore closer to the deck's surface. The effectiveness of the 'Inverted Bar' idea was explored in the construction of two sets of parallel bridges. One bridge in each set was constructed with this new idea while the other was constructed using the existing procedure (i.e. transverse bar on top). The results suggest the significant advantage would not be gained from the 'Inverted Bar' detail with respect to crack control. The benefit is diminished in the presence of the large cover depths practices.