FIELD PERFORMANCE OF FULL DEPTH PRECAST CONCRETE PANELS IN BRIDGE DECK RECONSTRUCTION

There have been many applications of full depth precast and precast, prestressed concrete deck panels for bridge rehabilitation in North America. This paper presents the findings obtained through an investigation conducted in the United States to evaluate the field performance of bridge deck panels. The states included in the investigation were Illinois, Connecticut, Virginia, Maryland, Iowa, California, New York, Alaska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. The investigation mainly consisted of a visual inspection of bridges selected through an earlier phase of the overall study. The inspection process entailed a general visual search for any problems associated with the joints between adjacent precast concrete panels as well as the connection between the deck and supporting system and the condition of the overlay system. The investigation also included discussions with state engineers regarding the design, construction, and performance of the precast concrete panels. This paper is part of an investigation carried out for an Illinois Department of Transportation rehabilitation program.