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SOLUTIONS FOR THE BUILT WORLD

Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

Todd Nelson, Elizabeth Nadelman, Paul Krauss

October 15, 2017

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Severe early-age transverse cracking noted on a large number of bridge decks in Montana

▪ Early-age transverse cracking led to deck penetrations in three bridge decks

▪ Decks were only 1 to 9 years old

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Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Bridge Locations

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Bridge Locations

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Typical Distress

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Typical Distress

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Typical Distress

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Performed investigation to determine cause of cracking and to make recommendations for mitigation and prevention

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Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Field Investigations

▪ Detailed investigation of four bridges

▪ Comparative investigations of eight additional bridges

– Crack mapping

– Delamination survey

– Concrete coring

– Impulse response

– Infrared thermography

– Drone

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Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Laboratory Evaluations

▪ Petrography

▪ Mechanical property evaluation

▪ Thermal property evaluation (COTE)

▪ Chloride ion content

▪ X-ray diffraction of efflorescence

▪ Modeling – Sensitivity Analysis

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Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Characteristic Cracking

Map cracking

Transverse

cracking

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Characteristic Cracking

Transverse cracking

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Characteristic Cracking

“Jump” cracking

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Crack progression:1. Transverse cracks develop early2. Cracks progress over time3. Closely-spaced transverse cracks can

“jump”4. Holes may develop at jumps

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Characteristic Cracking

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Modeling ▪ Temperature model: ConcreteWorks

▪ Stress model: Mathcad tool based on Zuk (1961)1

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Early-Age Bridge Deck Cracking: Case Study

1Zuk, W. “Thermal and Shrinkage Stresses in Composite Beams,” Journal of the

American Concrete Institute, (1961): 327-340.

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Used ConcreteWorks to simulate peak temperature-time histories for 3 bridge decks▪ Deck geometry based on drawings

▪ Heat generation simulated based on mix designs and cement compositions

▪ Ambient temperature, wind speed, solar radiation based on historic records (NCDC)

▪ Assumed placement temperature of 65 degrees F based on available batch ticket information

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Temperature Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

6/7 6/8 6/9 6/10 6/11 6/12 6/13 6/14

Max.

Deck T

em

pera

ture

( F

)

Date/Time

Bridge 6

6:00 AM 12:00 PM (noon)

6:00 PM

7:00 AM (Actual) Ambient

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Temperature Model

35 oF difference!

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Temperature Model

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

7/25 7/26 7/27 7/28 7/29 7/30 7/31 8/1

Max.

De

ck T

em

pera

ture

( F

)

Date/Time

Bridge 1

6:00 AM 12:00 PM (noon)

6:00 PM

2:00 AM (Actual) Ambient

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

7/7 7/8 7/9 7/10 7/11 7/12 7/13 7/14

Max.

Deck T

em

pera

ture

( F

)

Date/Time

Bridge 2

6:00 AM 12:00 PM (noon)

6:00 PM

4:00 AM (Actual) Ambient

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

6/7 6/8 6/9 6/10 6/11 6/12 6/13 6/14

Max.

Deck T

em

pera

ture

( F

)

Date/Time

Bridge 6

6:00 AM 12:00 PM (noon)

6:00 PM

7:00 AM (Actual) Ambient

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Temperature Model

Placing concrete in late afternoon shifts peak temp.

difference to Day 2 or 3.

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Stress analyses were performed using Mathcad, based on first-principles model by Zuk (1961)▪ Developed for composite bridge decks

▪ Calculate free strain in each segment due to temperature change and/or shrinkage

▪ Calculate stresses generated by compatibility along interfaces

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Stress Model

Zuk, W. “Thermal and Shrinkage Stresses in Composite Beams,” Journal of the American

Concrete Institute, (1961): 327-340.

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Modifications:

▪ Creep was implicitly modeled by reducing the elastic modulus of concrete

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Sensitivity Analysis

▪ Autogenous shrinkage

▪ Drying shrinkage

▪ Temperature changes in deck and girder

▪ Compressive strength of deck concrete

▪ Thickness of deck

▪ Girder spacing

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Sensitivity Analysis

▪ Autogenous shrinkage

▪ Drying shrinkage

▪ Temperature changes in deck and girder

▪ Compressive strength of deck concrete

▪ Thickness of deck

▪ Girder spacing

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Sensitivity Analysis: Key Findings

▪ High sensitivity to tensile stresses caused by early-age temperature drops

▪ Stresses due to thermal gradients (e.g., cooling of deck surfaces) are greater magnitude than stresses due to uniform temperature changes

▪ Strains due to temperature generally larger than strains due to autogenous shrinkage for bridges investigated

▪ Drying shrinkage may be significant at later ages

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Simulations also performed for “realistic” temperature distributions

▪ Assumed top 1/3 of deck is cooled 10 degrees F relative to interior

– Simulated tensile stresses reached up to 130 psi at 3 days (after cooling)

– Steeper substantial gradients may have existed in actual deck

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Simulations also performed for “realistic” temperature distributions

▪ Simulations also performed assuming uniform drying shrinkage of 500 microstrain

– Simulated tensile stresses reached up to 590 psi

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Simulations also performed for “realistic” temperature distributions▪ Tensile capacity of the concrete may be

exceeded by “realistic” thermal and shrinkage effects

▪ Simulated stresses generally correlated with observed crack severity

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Stress Model

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Curing recommendations to limit thermal cracking

▪ Move pour times to later afternoon

▪ After peak hydration, apply insulation

▪ Recommendations implemented on 2 new bridge decks in late 2016 and 3 new bridge decks in 2017

▪ DOT reports little to no transverse cracking observed (typically over bents, if observed)

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Recommendations

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

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Recommendations

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Additional recommendations for reducing early-age shrinkage cracking:

▪ Immediately fog mist placements until wet curing media is in place

▪ Limit cementitious material contents to 600 lb/yd3 or less

▪ Limit silica fume replacement to 5%

▪ Specify w/cm between 0.42 and 0.45

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Recommendations

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Additional recommendations for design:

▪ Increase design thickness of decks to 8 inches minimum

▪ Modify specifications to require staggering of top and bottom transverse reinforcing mats

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Recommendations

▪ Outline

▪ Project Background

▪ Investigation

▪ Thermal Modeling

▪ Recommendations

▪ Early-age thermal effects can generate significant thermal stresses in bridge decks.

▪ Risk of cracking may be reduced by:

▪ Pouring concrete in late afternoon

▪ Applying insulation to the deck after peak hydration

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Conclusions

Questions?Thanks for attending!

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