Structural health monitoring of innovative bridge decks

The concept of steel-free deck slab is discussed along with six field applications in Canada. In particular, the phenomenon of cracking in deck slabs is discussed with reference to laboratory studies as well as field observations, both of which have shown that, notwithstanding the presence of cracks, the fatigue resistance of the steel-free deck slab is very high. The provision of a layer of nominal tensile reinforcement within the thickness of the steel-free deck slab, however, eliminates the unaesthetic wide cracks. Laboratory studies, currently underway, have shown that the technique of acoustic attenuation is very effective in tracking the growth of cracks in concrete deck slabs. The conventional sensors were not successful in this respect.