| Bridge deck cracking is a major concern for transportation agencies across the country. One objective of the research project was to identify a mixture proportion(s) that can successfully reduce shrinkage cracks in bridge decks. Changes to mixture proportions can improve both the fresh and hardened properties of concrete. The other two objectives of the research program were to determine changes to mixture proportions to improve other concrete properties such as durability, strength and permeability, and to provide the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department with typical values for concrete properties such as compressive strength, permeability, durability, and shrinkage. The research shows that: fresh concrete properties and compressive strengths varied within bridge decks and between the bridge decks examined, early age compressive strengths were high for the bridge decks examined and should be limited, hardened concrete properties were improved through the incorporation of additional supplementary cementing materials and decreased water content. |
