Bridge Preservation Research Topics

National Bridge Preservation Workshop Evaluation Comments

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IV. What bridge preservation research topics should to be pursued? Please describe and list accordingly.

Bridge Preservation Research Topics		Category														Comments
Bridge Preservation Research Topics		Bridge Preservation & Asset Mgmt	Decks and Joints	Superstructures	Substructures	Selection of Preservation Strategies & Preservation Actions	Performance of Preservation Strategies & Preservation Actions	Definitions	Funding ($)	Truck Loading, overloads	Historic Bridges	Covered Bridges	Supplier Quals	Permitting (environmental)	Construction Issues	Comments
1	Life cycle strategies for re-painting.	X		X
2	Approach to eliminate brdige joints in existing bridge strucure. The use of link slabs (link the slabs of adjacent simple spans) to eliminate joints holds a great promise of providing an effective preservation techique for existing bridges. North Carolina has done some research in the area. Massachusetts have used the link slab concepts on some of our bridges rehabilitation/preservation project but feel additionl reseach to establish design prameters and limitation is warranted.		X
3	Cost effective and enviormentally friendly methods for removal of lead paints.			X
4	High performance paint and sealer systems.		X	X
5	Effective coating system for concrete surfaces and jersery barriers.		X
6	Performance of bridge deck sealers used in new construction.		X
7	Optimum time of application of bridge deck sealers if not applied during construction		X
8	Activity cost. High , Low and Average. National and by the region.	X
9	If we all agree that joints will fail, we need to look at coatings for rockers, bridge seats, backwalls, ends of beams,etc. that will preserve those elements when the joints do fail.		X	X	X											Coatings
10	Keeping it simple...a marine/Navy type grease coating could solve lots of deterioration/expense problems.			X	X											"KISS"
11	Mine are more repair oriented, would like to see topics on repairing fire damage, repairing spalls on the underside of decks and girders, repair on tunnel facilities (my state considers our tunnels to be bridges)		X	X												Fire damage and Tunnels
12	Deck Overlays.		X
13	Expansion Joints.		X
14	On-going corrosion of rebars inside structure.		X	X	X
15	Paint			X
16	How to prioritize your bridge preservations needs with a limited source of funding.					X
17	When, how, and why do you perform bridge preservation activities.	X
18	How to balance bridge preservation, maintenance and rehabilitation, and replacement needs.	X
19	What is the most "bang for the buck" bridge preservation activity or activities and why.						X
20	Implementation steps for successful bridge preservation program.	X
21	Deck Joints - Research on more effective deck joints.		X
22	Bridge Deck Treatments - What deck treatments work best according to environment, age, ADT, etc.		X
23	Impacts of truck traffic on bridges									X
24	Continued research on joints should be conducted with specific performance in different climates.		X
25	Waterproofing and overlay research should be conducted in the same fashion as above.		X
26	The research should lead to a technical procedures to ensure proper performance of the two or three "best" practices.					X	X
27	Concrete coatings, NDE techniques to identify when preservation is needed before a component fails, when to apply deck sealers and how often.		X	X	X											NDE
28	Joint detail, material, and specifications, how to seal deck effectively,		X
29	The new paint that is a 2 coat system with 30 years or more life. Poly Solaxane? Do we have enough confidence to actually use it?		X
30	I belive that the presentation by Sandra Larson was excellent, especially talking about the increasing weight and volume of truck traffic. Deep down inside, we know that these vehicles will have a negative effect on bridges, but to my knowledge, there is no actual study that shows this. The trucking industry points to the fact that there is no study that shows that heavy trucks cause damage to bridges. I look at bridge preservation from a load rating perspective. We are so far just focused on what we can control (Capacity). The live load is just as important. We can not be successful in bridge preservation unless we address the live load.									X
31	Looks like there needs to be something more on measuring and reporting B/C ratios for the various preventive maintenance strategies - How do we know things are working?	X					X
32	How long do sealers last, how far do they penetrate, what product is best - Including cracker sealers, not just deck sealers		X	X	X
33	Deck sealers and thin overlays in use currently.		X
34	Effectiveness of bridge deck crack sealers and flood coat sealers including silanes, siloxanes, methylmethacrylates, and epoxies.		X
35	Synthesis project to gather in a formal document what states are doing and when and what works/doesn't work.					X	X									What States are doing?
36	Need a National Definition(s) for Bridge Preservation, Maintenance, etc. This was very evident during the breakout sessions, in that almost every state was calling similiar activities differently.	X						X								Definition of preservation
37	Before we go any further. Let's get a working definition "bridge preservation" that everyone will accept (to some extent).	X						X								Definition of preservation
38	Case studies on critical failures. Research on practical solutions to avoid such cases.						X
39	State-of-the-practice in bridge deck rehabilitation strategies.		X
40	Methods for preserving the deck and increasing safety during all weather conditions.		X
41	I would like to see some type of cost benefit ratio for doing preventative maintenance.	X				X										B/C ratio
42	Better deck joints.		X
43	Deck sealing products		X
44	Joint repair/sealing products		X
45	I would like to see a "synthesis" study of the states' programs that are using HBP funds for preventive maintenance.								X							HBP
46	Composites and Bridge Preservation.		X	X	X
47	When and when not to use sacrificial zinc anodes.		X		X
48	When to use cathothic protection.		X		X
49	User Friendly paint systems.			X
50	Maintenance free expansion joints that last.		X
51	Do research to develop guidelines on what type of overlay is most appropriate in different situations: we select from different types of overlays such as asphalt with membrane, thin bonded polymer concrete overlay, or latex modified concrete overlay.		X
52	Quick bridge deck repair/rehabilitation strategies.		X
53	Bridge joints - need something durable with low to no maintenance.		X
54	Deck drains and piping need to be detailed differently - larger than 6 inches		X
55	Effectiveness of preventive treatments - particulary silane sealers and paint coatings.		X	X
56	Studies that compare asset conditions/trends for with a generally acceptable preventive maintenance programs against those with no or minimal maintenance programs.	X					X
57	Fatigue issues and lessons learned. NDE applications			X
58	Wearing Surface/Deck Sealing.		X
59	The use of preformed waterproofing membranes below bituminous concrete overlays		X
60	Long term waterproof bridge joints.		X
61	Long lasting, fast setting bridge deck patching material.		X
62	Approach slab undersealing/lifting procedures.		X
63	Cost benefits of various preventive maintenance proposals (stratified by ADT/ADTT/environment/ .....)	X				X
64	Does migrating corrosion inhibiter work? What does it do? Is this something we should be routinely using?		X
65	Bridge expansion joints.		X
66	Bridge deck sealing		X
67	There needs to be more case studies of in-service bridges, comparing maintenance practices overtime, and quantifying their benefits. There are cases where in-service bridge elements in similar environments have received widely different maintenance actions. For example, in Wisconsin, counties maintain the state roads. There are two adjacent counties where one washes their bridge every year, the other never does. We could find out about the effectiveness of bridge washing, by studying the condition of the bridges. I have heard of a bridge that cross a river between two states, one that uses linseed oil regularly, the other never does. We could demonstrate the effectiveness of deck sealers (even if linseed oil is no longer the best sealer) this data could be used to quantify maintenance benefits in terms of extending service life.	X				X	X
68	NMDOT has worked closely with New Mexico State University on several research projects including monitoring the performance of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer system that was installed on a continuous reinforced concrete slab deck structure on the interstate through live load testing, and the use of fiber optics embedded in prestressed concrete superstructure members during new construction in order to monitor a number of performance criteria throughout the life of the bridge. This research should help us detect problems early so that those problems can be addressed before becoming larger and more costly. NMSU may be able to share the results of these research projects during the next workshop.		X
69	How to make concrete decks more durable. Concrete decks less accessible to cracking, that is adding elements that would make concrete less brittle and yet economically affordable.		X
70	Developing of deicing products of less damaging effects to bridge decks, and superstructures.		X
71	Bridge joints. To develop a program to test all available joint materials and come with a true list of bridge joints that work and others that don't.		X
72	How about to develop a Bridge Preventive Maintenance Manual that will also include steps to develop and plan a long term Bridge Program for the next 10 or 20 years away and easily applied to any state.	X														Bridge Preventive Maint Manual, Long term bridge program
73	The use of elastomeric concrete in joint headers.		X
74	The effectiveness of various types of membranes and overlays for sealing bridge decks.		X
75	Independent Life Cycle cost determination of all preservation strategies.	X
76	Unprotected reinforcing steel - Continued research on protection strategies including passive galvanic on corroding steel and sealing concrete surfaces from chloride penentration.		X
77	Deck joints over substructure elements - Limits of joint elimination and longer lasting joints.		X
78	Unprotected concrete decks - Synthesis of all available existing strategies and their life cycle costs.		X
79	Unprotected substructures in splash zones - Added coatings and their long term effectiveness.				X
80	Remedial action necessary to preserve bridge decks built in the last 10+ years that have significant transverse cracking.		X
81	Alignment of safety and element inspection data. The data collected should align with NBIS needs and asset management. The data should distinguish between structural issues vs ride or element protection issues.	X
82	Cheap and effective method to monitor post tension strands for active corrosion inside of grouted ducts.			X
83	Better deck and expansion joint drain designs that can be easily maintained and provide aesthetic appeal.		X
84	Better deck sealers.		X
85	What's new (that either works or doesn't)?					X	X
86	Water and de-icing salts are certainly our enemies. The best joint is no joint however research into effective bridge joints, sealers, membranes, etc. is needed.		X
87	More conclusive information about bridge joints, not just a list of common problems, but more solutions on how to fix these problems.		X
88	Network level (i.e. corridor level) methodology to prioritize bridges that can be targeted to preservation strategies as opposed to rehabilitation or replacement.	X
89	Life Cycle Coat Analysis extended to corridor level evaluation.	X
90	More emphasis on the maintenance and preservation of historical covered bridges.											X
91	Ways to reduce the permitting processes with DEP, Fish & Boat and Fish & Wildlife districts.													X		permitting process
92	Bridge deck overlays - synthesis of practice and what works.		X
93	Bridge deck sealants - synthesis of practice and what works.		X
94	What specifically are states doing to preserve their bridges that makes a measureable and quantifiable difference.	X					X
95	Effect of heavy trucks and high volumes of ADTT on service life.									X
96	Find joints that last.		X
97	How do we extend the lengths of jointless bridges?		X
98	Effects of extremely heavy permit loads on bridge service life.									X
99	Rapid construction/re-construction techniques.	X
100	Paint overcoating guidance needed (include weathering steel).			X
101	Better realistic prioritization of identified scour problems.				X
102	Provide tool for life cycle cost analysis that would work on a project specific basis.	X
103	Practical decision/action model for dealing with load ratings that seem to unrealistically predict capacity and restrict commerce. Need capacity verification guidance.	X
104	Identify preventative maintenance techniques.					X
105	Research which techniques work and which are outdated.					X	X
106	We seem to ignore prestressed concerns--I think because we understand so little about the issues surrounding these superstructure types.			X
107	What are cost effective preservation activities?					X
108	What is working and providing the biggest bang for the dollar?						X
109	What is not working?						X
110	I am not sure we need research, we need to apply what we know. Example bridge deck sealers, painting steel, replacing joints before they fall out, sealing substructure under joints, bridge washing.		X
111	Bridge expansion joints.		X
112	Review bridge deck protection research from the 70's and 80's.		X
113	Use similar screening tests on the sealers being marketed today.		X
114	Effects of overloads. We are approving loads at operating rating over many of our briges over 1 thousand times a year. The amount of overweight traffic on our roads and the weight of the average load is continually increasing in our state.									X
115	Prestressed concrete beam end deterioration due to saturation with Chlorides from de-icing salts should be researched to determine an effective method to repair beam ends or seal beam ends to prevent the deterioration.			X
116	Joints.		X
117	Better Joints.		X
118	Possibly supplier qualification. I didn't hear an awful lot about this, but we've know it to be a pervasive problem.'s good identify what needs done, then who actually delivers seems get left behind.												X
119	Is anyone using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) with success to aid in determining bridge deck/slab deterioration? In our own research and surveys we have seen on this topic, there have been very mixed results. Does anyone see the technology changing in this area where it will be usable in the near future? Like other DOT's, manpower to conduct chain drag and sounding surveys and the safety of the inspectors is a hot topic each year with reduced manpower and increasing traffic.		X													GPR, deck surveys
120	Cost benefit for sealing of decks. We all think it's a good idea, but what are we getting for the investment.		X
121	I think more research is needed in regards to substructure preservation as a result of deterioration and in scour prone areas.				X
122	More discussion on "what we use" and "what works", in a format where more than 3 or 4 states are allowed to share information. In other words, end the "presentations" format, and have some less formal round table discussions.						X									comment for next NBPW.
123	Joints.		X
124	Overlays.		X
125	Bearings.			X
126	Programming Methods	X
127	Bridge Funding.								X
128	Post-Tensioned Concrete Box Bridges.			X
129	Problems, Inspections,Repairs,and Rehabilitations.					X	X
130	Historic Bridges - Illustrative Case Studies										X
131	Bridge deterioration model	X
132	Joints, deck		X
133	New construction issues, specifically substrate components, pouring and curing methods, etc.														X
134	Post construction preventative maintenance methods and techniques.														X
135	Exsiting bridge preventative maintenance methods and techniques.	X				X
136	Deteriorating bridge methods to extend working lives.	X				X
	136 Suggestions	25	71	20	11	13	14	2	2	5	1	1	1	1	2	169
		15%	42%	12%	7%	8%	8%	1%	1%	3%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	100%
		Bridge Preservation & Asset Mgmt	Decks and Joints	Superstructures	Substructures	Selection of Preservation Strategies & Preservation Actions	Performance of Preservation Strategies & Preservation Actions	Definitions	Funding ($)	Truck Loading, overloads	Historic Bridges	Covered Bridges	Supplier Quals	Permitting (environmental)	Construction Issues

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