Rehabilitation techniques for concrete bridges

Abstract

This research project addresses rehabilitation techniques for reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges, focusing primarily on corrosion of prestressed concrete beam-ends. An extensive literature database on repair of concrete bridges was developed using Microsoft Access. A limited, first version of an expert system computer program, Concrete Bridge Assessment and Rehabilitation (ConBAR), was developed to assist in diagnosis of concrete bridge deterioration problems and to identify repair, rehabilitation, or preventive maintenance options. The effectiveness of several repair methods in mitigating corrosion damage and providing protection to prestressed concrete beam-ends was evaluated experimentally. These methods included silane sealers, epoxy coatings, patching, polymer (resin) coatings and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps.