Link to the Latest: Final Report
Project Guide
Background:
The life-cycle of Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) projects includes several phases: planning, design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, reconstruction or recycling. Most of the research studies for ABC projects have been focused on the design and construction phases, although maintenance and rehabilitation play an important role to preserve a bridge network in good condition. Bridge components are affected by loads and environmental stressors deteriorating faster or even collapse without effective maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. Furthermore, wet-dry cycling and higher concentrations of chlorides in coastal areas accelerates the deterioration process reducing the life expectancy of bridges while increasing the frequency and cost of the repairs. To address this problem, innovative materials should be considered in the formulation of maintenance and rehabilitation strategies for ABC projects. Although, UHPC has higher initial costs, it is intended to lower the total life-cycle costs when compared to conventional concrete.
Objective:
The main objective is to quantify the potential benefits of UHPC applications in long-term maintenance strategies for ABC projects. Products from this research will support management decisions at the network and project level. It is expected that the use of new materials and timely maintenance strategies will increase the life expectancy of bridges using ABC systems.
Scope:
The work plan is composed of seven tasks:
Task 1: Review the State-of-Practice of Bridge Retrofitting Techniques
Task 2: Side-by-Side Comparison of Concrete Retrofitting Techniques for Bridge Elements.
Task 3: Develop Life Expectancy and Cost-Effectiveness Models for UHPC Retrofitting
Task 4: Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Step-by-Step Methodology
Task 5: Case Study
Task 6: Prepare the Final Research Report
Task 7: Develop Educational Workshop Material
Research Team:
Principal Investigator: Carlos M. Chang, Ph.D.
Research Assistant: Abid Hossain
Previous Progress Report