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PRESENTATION
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Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting

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GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE

This slide shows an image of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The bridge spans the Potomac River and has seven visible arches. The Lincoln Memorial is to the right of the bridge and other buildings, trees, and vegetation, can be seen behind the bridge. There is text above the image of the bridge. There are nine smaller images of various roadways and bridges, including the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge, beneath the image of Memorial Bridge, with the words “Eastern Federal Lands” overtop of the nine images. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.
This slide shows an image of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The bridge spans the Potomac River and has seven visible arches. The Lincoln Memorial is to the right of the bridge and other buildings, trees, and vegetation, can be seen behind the bridge. There is text above the image of the bridge. There are nine smaller images of various roadways and bridges, including the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge, beneath the image of Memorial Bridge, with the words “Eastern Federal Lands” overtop of the nine images. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

1

Description of Existing Bridge

This slide shows an image of the six-lane bridge deck of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. There are three lanes in each direction, and there are sidewalks and concrete railings visible on each side of the bridge deck. There is an asphalt overlay on top of the concrete bridge deck. There are light posts on the sidewalk; vehicles on the road; and pedestrians on the sidewalks. There is a heading of “Description of Existing Bridge” and bulleted text above the image of the bridge deck. Trees and buildings can be seen in the distance beyond the bridge deck. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Bridge deck and sidewalk

2

Description of Existing Bridge (cont.)

  • Movable Steel Truss Bascule Span

  • Total length of the bridge: 2,108 feet

  • Bascule span:

    • 216 feet (Main Trunnion to Main Trunnion)

  • Approach Spans:

    • 10 Total (5 on each side of bascule)

  • Curb to curb: 60 feet (6 lanes)

  • Sidewalk width 17 feet
  • Estimated water depth varies (10 feet to 30 feet)

  • Known Utilities (Survey Completed):

    • Pepco

    • FAA

    • Tunnel for submarine cable

This slide shows a panoramic view of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, which spans across the Potomac River connecting Arlington, Virginia to Washington, DC. All ten arches of the bridge can be seen, including an arch on the far right that allows traffic to pass on the roadway beneath the bridge. There is text above the image of the bridge. Buildings can be seen behind the bridge, and there are three red rectangles superimposed on the image. The red rectangle on the left identifies four concrete approach spans on the Virginia end of the bridge. The red rectangle in the middle identifies the bascule span which is made of steel, and the red rectangle on the right identifies four concrete approach spans on the Washington, DC end of the bridge. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

3

Existing Deck and Sidewalks

This slide shows four images identifying deterioration of the roadway surface (bridge deck) of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The slide in the upper left shows the bumpy surface of the roadway (bridge deck), including ruts, spalls and asphalt patches. Bulges in the pavement are also visible from repeated repair/patching with asphalt. The image in the upper right shows a hole in the road way surface (bridge deck) where the entire asphalt overlay is missing and the concrete bridge deck below it is showing. Also visible is a dark area of asphalt where the roadway had been previously repaired/patched. The image in the lower left shows the sidewalk of the bridge; the sidewalk has large areas of deterioration and cracking It also shows where the deterioration in the sidewalk had been patched with asphalt but the patch also has deteriorated. The image in the lower right shows a pothole in the roadway surface (bridge deck). The asphalt roadway surface also has ruts and there are areas on the road surface that have been previously repaired/patched. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Deterioration of roadway surface		 This slide shows four images identifying deterioration of the roadway surface (bridge deck) of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The slide in the upper left shows the bumpy surface of the roadway (bridge deck), including ruts, spalls and asphalt patches. Bulges in the pavement are also visible from repeated repair/patching with asphalt. The image in the upper right shows a hole in the road way surface (bridge deck) where the entire asphalt overlay is missing and the concrete bridge deck below it is showing. Also visible is a dark area of asphalt where the roadway had been previously repaired/patched. The image in the lower left shows the sidewalk of the bridge; the sidewalk has large areas of deterioration and cracking It also shows where the deterioration in the sidewalk had been patched with asphalt but the patch also has deteriorated. The image in the lower right shows a pothole in the roadway surface (bridge deck). The asphalt roadway surface also has ruts and there are areas on the road surface that have been previously repaired/patched. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Deterioration of roadway surface
This slide shows four images identifying deterioration of the roadway surface (bridge deck) of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The slide in the upper left shows the bumpy surface of the roadway (bridge deck), including ruts, spalls and asphalt patches. Bulges in the pavement are also visible from repeated repair/patching with asphalt. The image in the upper right shows a hole in the road way surface (bridge deck) where the entire asphalt overlay is missing and the concrete bridge deck below it is showing. Also visible is a dark area of asphalt where the roadway had been previously repaired/patched. The image in the lower left shows the sidewalk of the bridge; the sidewalk has large areas of deterioration and cracking It also shows where the deterioration in the sidewalk had been patched with asphalt but the patch also has deteriorated. The image in the lower right shows a pothole in the roadway surface (bridge deck). The asphalt roadway surface also has ruts and there are areas on the road surface that have been previously repaired/patched. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Deterioration of the sidewalks		 This slide shows four images identifying deterioration of the roadway surface (bridge deck) of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The slide in the upper left shows the bumpy surface of the roadway (bridge deck), including ruts, spalls and asphalt patches. Bulges in the pavement are also visible from repeated repair/patching with asphalt. The image in the upper right shows a hole in the road way surface (bridge deck) where the entire asphalt overlay is missing and the concrete bridge deck below it is showing. Also visible is a dark area of asphalt where the roadway had been previously repaired/patched. The image in the lower left shows the sidewalk of the bridge; the sidewalk has large areas of deterioration and cracking It also shows where the deterioration in the sidewalk had been patched with asphalt but the patch also has deteriorated. The image in the lower right shows a pothole in the roadway surface (bridge deck). The asphalt roadway surface also has ruts and there are areas on the road surface that have been previously repaired/patched. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Deterioration of the roadway surface

4

Existing Deck - Underside

This slide shows two images identifying deterioration of the underside of the concrete deck of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The image on the left, taken July 21, 2010, shows where the concrete has deteriorated and the concrete cover is missing, exposing corroded steel reinforcing bars. The image on the right, taken February 8, 2012, shows the same area. Additional deterioration of the concrete can be seen, as well as additional corroded metal reinforcing bars, including two reinforcing bars failed and dangling below the deck. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Photo taken on 07/21/2010		 This slide shows two images identifying deterioration of the underside of the concrete deck of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The image on the left, taken July 21, 2010, shows where the concrete has deteriorated and the concrete cover is missing, exposing corroded steel reinforcing bars. The image on the right, taken February 8, 2012, shows the same area. Additional deterioration of the concrete can be seen, as well as additional corroded metal reinforcing bars, including two reinforcing bars failed and dangling below the deck. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Photo taken on 02/08/2012

5

Deck - Recent Repairs

This slide shows an image of deck repairs of the Arlington Memorial Bridge taken on September 29, 2012. The image shows a large rectangular hole cut in the concrete deck. Reinforcing bars are also visible in the concrete deck, as well as the tops of curved steel stirrups from the beam below. Inside the hole is a worker wearing a bright yellow, orange, and white safety shirt. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Photo taken on 09/29/2012

6

Deck - Recent Repairs

This slide shows an image of the underside of the deck of the Arlington Memorial Bridge taken on October 1, 2012. The photograph is looking up at the bridge deck from below, and shows the rectangular hole in the deck and reinforced bars. Additional corroded reinforcing bars are visible adjacent to the hole in the bridge deck, and the concrete cover has been lost in the area of the corroded reinforcing bars. A worker is also in the photograph, wearing a bright yellow and white safety shirt and a hardhat. The image also shows pipes/conduits carrying utilities under the bridge deck. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Photo taken on 10/01/2012

7

Deck - Recent Repairs

This slide shows an image of a worker making deck repairs to the Arlington Memorial Bridge taken on September 29, 2012. A worker, wearing a bright yellow, orange, white safety shirt, jeans, work boots and work gloves, is holding a black flexible tube connected to an orange piece of equipment. The worker is sitting behind a rectangular section partially cut out of the bridge deck. Reinforcing bars can be seen, as well as chunks and small pieces of concrete. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Photo taken on 09/29/2012

8

Sidewalk - Recent Repairs

This slide shows a closeup image of the deteriorated sidewalk of the Arlington Memorial Bridge taken on September 20, 2012. The image shows thin pieces of broken concrete sidewalk just to the left of the main roadway (bridge deck). There is also a hole all the way through the sidewalk adjacent to a metal joint that connects portions of the sidewalk. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

Photo taken on 09/20/2012

9

Eagle’s Eye View

This slide shows an aerial view of the six-lane bridge deck of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. There are three lanes in each direction, and there are sidewalks visible on each side of the roadway. There are light posts on the sidewalk and vehicles on the bridge. Large asphalt patches of asphalt overlay are also visible. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

10

Eagle’s Eye View

This slide shows another aerial view of the six-lane bridge deck of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. There are three lanes in each direction, and there are sidewalks visible on each side of the roadway. There are light posts on the sidewalk and vehicles on the road. Also visible are the words “Only” painted on the inside far-right lane and the outside far-right lane. On each of the right lanes, arrows are painted on the surface. A left-turning arrow is painted on the inside far-right lane; a left- and right-turning arrow on the middle lane; and a right-turning arrow on the outside right lane. The slide number is visible in the lower right corner.

11

Deck Study – Core Boring Locations

The image shows four views of the Arlington Memorial Bridge taken from the plans of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The first image is the top-most image, and it depicts a plan view of the bridge, which is the view one would see from the sky looking down at the bridge. This first image only shows the five spans from the Virginia end of the bridge, and half of the bascule span to the centerline of the bascule span. It calls out with dimensions lines two thirty-foot lanes and two 17.0-ft sidewalks. It also shows the location of one concrete core (Core #5) taken from the deck of the span between Pier 6 and Pier 5; core #5 is located 69 feet from the expansion joint at Pier 5, and 10-ft-3-in south of the traffic-side of the north sidewalk. Four cores have been taken from the concrete deck of the approach span between Pier 5 and Pier 4. The first core in that span is core #12 and is located 68 feet-6-inches from the expansion joint at Pier 5 and 6-ft-5-inches north of the centerline of the bridge deck. The second core in that span is core #6 and is located in the south sidewalk, 17-ft-2-inches from the expansion joint at Pier 5 and 5-ft-3-in south of the traffic-side of the south sidewalk. The third core in that span is core #10, and is located 62-ft-5-inches from the expansion joint at Pier 4 and 3-ft-10-inches north of the centerline of the bridge deck. The fourth core in that span is core #11, and is located 53 feet from the expansion joint at Pier 4 and 4-ft-10-inches south of the traffic-side of the north sidewalk. One concrete core, core #4, was taken from the deck of the span between Pier 4 and Abutment 3; it is located 6-ft-3-in from the expansion joint at Pier 4 and 2-ft-9-inches south of the traffic-side of the north sidewalk. The second image is below the first image; it is an elevation view of the bridge (view from the side of the bridge), displaying five spans from the Virginia end of the bridge and half of the bascule span. The location of the east face of Abutment 4 is at Station 26+18. The distance from the east face of Abutment 4 on the Virginia end of the bridge to the centerline of the bascule span is 929 feet. Pier 6 is 32-ft wide. Pier 5 is 33-ft wide. Pier 4 is 35-ft wide and Abutment 3 nearest the bascule span is 41-ft wide. The span length of the approach span closest to the Virginia end of the bridge between Abutment 4 and Pier 6 is 66 feet. The span length of the approach span between Pier 6 and Pier 5 is 72-feet-8 inches. The span length of the approach span between Pier 5 and Pier 4 is 177-feet-4 inches. The span length of the approach span closest to the bascule span between Pier 4 and Abutment 3 is 180 feet. The distance from Abutment 3 to the centerline of the bascule span is 92 feet. The third image is below the second image and it depicts a plane view of the bridge, which is the view one would see from the sky looking down at the bridge. This third image only shows the five spans from the Washington, DC end of the bridge, and half of the bascule span to the centerline of the bascule span. Three cores have been taken from the deck of the span between Pier 3 and Pier 2. The first core in that span is core number 3 and is from the north sidewalk; it is located 17 feet from the expansion joint at Pier 3 and 2-feet-6-inches from the water-side of the sidewalk. The second core in that span is core number 2, and is located 17-feet from the expansion joint at Pier 3 and 3 to 6-inches from the traffic-side of the north sidewalk. The third core in that span is core number 9. It is located 23-feet-8-icnhes from the expansion joint at Pier 2 and 4-feet-1-inch north of the centerline of the bridge deck. There is one core, core number 1, taken from the deck of the span between Pier 2 and Pier 1. It is located 59-feet from the expansion joint at Pier 1 and 3-feet-6-inches south of the traffic-side of the north sidewalk. There is one core, core number 7, taken from the south sidewalk of the span between Pier 1 and Abutment 1. It is located 69-feet-8-inches from west face of Abutment 1 and 12-feet-2-inches north of the water-side of the south sidewalk. The last core is core #8, and it is from the deck of the approach span at the Washington, DC end of the bridge. The core is located 31-feet-8-inches from the west face of Abutment 1 and 4-feet-7-inches north of the centerline of the bridge deck. The fourth image is below the third image; it is an elevation view of the bridge (view from the side of the bridge), displaying five spans from the Washington, DC end of the bridge and half of the bascule span. The distance from the west face of Abutment 1 on the Washington, DC end of the bridge to the centerline of the bascule span is 929 feet. Abutment 2 is at the east end of the bascule span and is 41-feet wide. Pier 3 is 35-feet wide. Pier 2 is 33-feet wide, and Pier 1 is 32-feet wide. The span length of the approach span between Abutment 2 and Pier 3 is 180 feet. The span length of the approach span between Pier 3 and Pier 2 is 177-feet-4-inches. The span length of the approach span between Pier 2 and Pier 1 is 172-feet-8-inches. The span length of the approach span between Pier 1 and Abutment 1 is 166 feet. The location of the west face of Abutment 1 is at Station 7+60.

12

Deck Study – Retrieved Core Findings

This slide includes twelve images: five small images on the top row of the slide, five small images below the first row, and two small images beneath the second row. The first image in the top upper left corner is of core number 1 and shows small pieces of asphalt and concrete with horizontal cracking (delaminations) and efflorescence. The second image is of core number 2, is located just to the right of the first image, and shows asphalt and concrete rubble. The third image is of core number 3, is located to the right of the second image, and shows a small intact piece of concrete with some spalling and efflorescence at one end of the core. The fourth image is of core number 4, is located to the right of the third image, and shows small pieces of asphalt and concrete rubble and pieces of a membrane. The fifth image is of core number 5, is located to the right of the fourth image, and shows pieces of asphalt with asphalt, membrane, and concrete rubble. The sixth image is of core number 6, is located below the first image, and shows four small pieces of concrete and three very small pieces of concrete; this is evidence of horizontal cracking (delaminations), vertical cracking, and efflorescence. The seventh image is of core number 7, is located below the second image, and shows two separate pieces of concrete, evidence of a vertical crack. The eighth image is of core #8, is located below the third image, and shows one intact piece of asphalt two inches long and many pieces of concrete rubble. The ninth image is of core number 9, is located below the fourth image, and shows a 2-inch piece of asphalt with membrane and three-and-a-half inch concrete core with a horizontal crack at the bottom of it and concrete rubble. The tenth image is of core number 10, is located below the fifth image, and shows asphalt, membrane, and concrete rubble. The eleventh image is of core number 11, is located below the sixth image, and shows a fully intact core made up of two inches of asphalt and three-and-a-half inches of concrete. The twelfth image is of core number 12, is located below the seventh image, and shows a two inch piece of asphalt with membrane with concrete rubble below it.

13

Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division & Turner-Fairbanks Highway Research Center working together!

RABIT – Data Based Assessment Tool

This slide shows a photograph of the RABIT™ Bridge Deck Assessment Tool on the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Behind the bridge and to the left of the RABIT™ Bridge Deck Assessment Tool is the Lincoln Memorial. Behind the bridge and to the right of the RABIT™ Bridge Deck Assessment Tool is a gold sculpture of a horse with a figure on top of the horse and a figure on the left side of the horse. Also seen is the Washington Monument.
  1. Panoramic Camera collects high-quality 360-degree images around the bridge deck.

  2. High-Definition Imaging collect high-quality images of the bridge deck.

  3. Electrical Resistivity Probes characterizes the corrosive environment of concrete deck.

  4. Impact Echo and Ultrasonic Surface Waves determine concrete delamination and concrete deck strength.

  5. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) records and marks location data.

  6. Global Positioning System (GPS) uses electromagnetic waves to map rebars and assess concrete deterioration.

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