This research reviewed the current and future uses of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) for bridge applications in the state of Ohio. Since most designers, owners and contractors are unfamiliar with the material and only a small percentage of all bridges utilize it, UHPC is still considered a relatively new material. Monitoring and understanding its performance in current applications will undoubtedly provide useful insights for future applications. Advantages of UHPC discussed include rapid strength gain that can be utilized in Accelerate Bridge Construction, fiber content which provides post cracking strength, high bond strength which shortens development lengths of reinforcement, and the flowable material which allows UHPC to better penetrate tighter spaces. Disadvantages of UHPC such as material cost, increased labor and time are also discussed. In addition, recommendations for future UHPC applications are provided that would benefit designers, owners and contractors through valuable insight that was gained during these research objectives. The first objective was to review the performance of UHPC in the Sollars Road adjacent prestressed concrete box beam bridge in Fayette County. The design of the UHPC longitudinal joint (shear keys) included dowel bars but eliminated intermediate diaphragms, transverse post-tensioning, and a composite deck. Comparing truck loading data from 2014 shortly after bridge construction was completed and 2017 during this study, the load distribution has improved to some extent and the bridge is responding to loading in a similar manner which implies minimal to no cracking of the UHPC shear keys. This simplified design may be a realistic alternative to solve the typical issue of cracking in the longitudinal joints (shear keys) and associated reflective cracking in composite decks for adjacent prestressed concrete box beam bridges. This improved behavior with UHPC joints may result in longer service life performance of these popular bridge designs. The research also monitored and evaluated the 2017 UHPC closure placement for the Hazelton-Etna road bridge over I-70, since this was a new application of UHPC for Ohio and the United States at the time. Data was collected during placement and during different seasonal periods to monitor daily and seasonal thermal effects. Comparing the data collected from 2017 to 2018 (approximately one year after the UHPC placement), the UHPC is responding in a similar manner which implies no cracking occurred. The final objective of the research was to provide review and advisement to ODOT related to the GAL 160-18.84 UHPC deck panel connections. However, the Department ultimately directed the contractor to construct a traditional cast-in-place deck for reasons unrelated to UHPC. The proposed end panels had a unique connection to deal with a large skew of the bridge alignment. At the time, the project would have been the largest placement of UHPC material in Ohio.

At head of title: National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

Precast prestressed concrete adjacent box beam bridges are widely utilized for short- and medium-span bridges throughout North America. However, a recurring issue with this bridge type is the deterioration of the shear key connection, resulting in substandard performance of the overall bridge system. This research investigated partial- and full-depth connection designs utilizing conventional non-shrink grout and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) by conducting full-scale structural testing. Quantitative measures to evaluate the connection performance that may assist in examining similar types of bridges are suggested in this study. A model to calculate the shear force in the connection is proposed, and both the shear and tensile stresses at the connection are analyzed. The findings can be used to assist in the design of connections for this bridge type. The performance of conventionally grouted and UHPC connections are presented and compared. It was found that the adjacent box beam bridges with UHPC connections can be a resilient bridge superstructure system, providing an innovative solution that can advance the state of the practice in bridge construction. This report corresponds to the accompanying TechBrief, Adjacent Box Beam Connections: Performance and Optimization.

Bridge Maintenance, Safety, Management, Life-Cycle Sustainability and Innovations contains lectures and papers presented at the Tenth International Conference on Bridge Maintenance, Safety and Management (IABMAS 2020), held in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, April 11–15, 2021. This volume consists of a book of extended abstracts and a USB card containing the full papers of 571 contributions presented at IABMAS 2020, including the T.Y. Lin Lecture, 9 Keynote Lectures, and 561 technical papers from 40 countries. The contributions presented at IABMAS 2020 deal with the state of the art as well as emerging concepts and innovative applications related to the main aspects of maintenance, safety, management, life-cycle sustainability and technological innovations of bridges. Major topics include: advanced bridge design, construction and maintenance approaches, safety, reliability and risk evaluation, life-cycle management, life-cycle sustainability, standardization, analytical models, bridge management systems, service life prediction, maintenance and management strategies, structural health monitoring, non-destructive testing and field testing, safety, resilience, robustness and redundancy, durability enhancement, repair and rehabilitation, fatigue and corrosion, extreme loads, and application of information and computer technology and artificial intelligence for bridges, among others. This volume provides both an up-to-date overview of the field of bridge engineering and significant contributions to the process of making more rational decisions on maintenance, safety, management, life-cycle sustainability and technological innovations of bridges for the purpose of enhancing the welfare of society. The Editors hope that these Proceedings will serve as a valuable reference to all concerned with bridge structure and infrastructure systems, including engineers, researchers, academics and students from all areas of bridge engineering.

This thesis studies the behaviour of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in the precast concrete bridge deck connections. The experimental program consisted of shear pocket push-out testing and full-scale bridge deck testing. The main objective was to study the UHPC performance in the shear pocket and joint connections. All specimens were statically loaded until failure. The push-out test specimens consisted of two small 45 MPa concrete slabs on either side of a built-up steel section, joined together by shear studs and UHPC shear pockets. There were three 6-stud specimens, two 3-stud specimens and two 0-stud specimens. The 6-stud specimens reached ultimate loads of 2642 kN, 2892 kN, and 3045 kN. The 3-stud specimens reached ultimate loads of 1445 kN and 1674 kN. The 0-stud specimens reached ultimate loads of 4.91 kN and 3.44 kN. The failure modes for the 6-stud and 3-stud specimens were stud failure or concrete crushing, while the 0-stud specimens failed when the UHPC and steel section surface debonded. The push-out specimens were instrumented with LVDTs, pi-gauges and strain gauges to collect data on the displacements, debonding, and shear stud strains throughout testing. The bridge deck testing included a full panel deck (FPD) and jointed panel deck (JPD). The FPD was cast monolithically with regular strength concrete and had UHPC shear pocket connections to the steel support girders. The JPD was cast as two half-size regular strength panels connected together with a UHPC joint, and connected to the steel support girders with UHPC shear pockets. The FPD and JPD reached ultimate loads of 1926 kN and 1878 kN, respectively. Both decks failed by concrete punching under the load point. The bridge decks were instrumented with LVDTs, pi-gauges, and strain gauges to collect data on the deflections, crack widths, steel strains, concrete strains, and shear stud strains throughout testing. The experimental results implied the number and length of the studs in the shear pockets may be reduced. The better performance of the FPD also indicated the circular pockets were superior and the use of UHPC in precast deck connections does not significantly improve the overall performance.

Adjacent box beam bridges have a history of poor long-term performance including premature deterioration and failures. Leaking joints between box beams allow chloride-laden water to migrate through the superstructure and initiate corrosion. The nature of this deterioration leads to uncertainty of the extent and effect of deterioration on structural behavior. Due to limitations in previous research and understanding of the strength of deteriorated box beam bridges, conservative assumptions are made for the assessment and load rating of these bridges. Furthermore, the design of new box beam bridges, which can offer an efficient and economical solution, is often discouraged due to poor past performance. The objective of this research is to develop recommendations for inspection, load-rating, and design of adjacent box beam bridges. The research is presented in two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on the evolution of box beam design in Indiana to understand the lack of performance and durability. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) standards and bridge design manuals were reviewed to track the historical development of box beam bridges in the State. Two timelines were produced tracking important updates to box beam design. Adjacent box beam bridges within INDOT's bridge database were also analyzed. Superstructure ratings were compared with bridge age as well as bridge characteristics to highlight possible causes for deterioration. Analyzing the INDOT inventory, data shows that the condition of adjacent box beam bridges may be affected by location, type of wearing surface, and the use of deck membranes. Six bridges were then inspected to identify common deficiencies and specific problems. Exterior beams and beams within the wheel load path tend to have higher levels of deterioration. Furthermore, leaking joints between beams leads to corrosion of reinforcement, ultimately resulting in spalling, fracture of prestressing strands, and loss of structural capacity. Volume 2 focuses on evaluating the capacity of deteriorated adjacent box beams, the development of improved load rating procedures, and new box beam design. Through a series of bridge inspections, deteriorated box beams were identified and acquired for experimental testing. The extent of corrosion was determined through visual inspection, non-destructive evaluation, and destructive evaluation. Non-destructive tests (NDT) included the use of connectionless electrical pulse response analysis (CEPRA), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and half-cell potentials. Deteriorated capacity was determined through structural testing, and an analysis procedure was developed to estimate deteriorated behavior. A rehabilitation procedure was also developed to restore load transfer of adjacent beams in cases where shear key failures are suspected. Based on the understanding of deterioration developed through study of deteriorated adjacent box beam bridges, improved inspection and load rating procedures are provided along with design recommendations for the next generation of box beam bridges.