Structural Design Guidelines for Concrete Bridge Decks Reinforced with Corrosion-Resistant Reinforcing Bars

About the report:

This research program develops and validates structural design guidelines and details for concrete bridge decks with corrosion-resistant reinforcing (CRR) bars. A two-phase experimental program was conducted where a control test set consistent with a typical Virginia Department of Transportation bridge deck design using Grade 60 steel (ASTM A615, fy = 60 ksi) and epoxy-coated reinforcing steel was compared to deck slab specimens where Grade 60 is replaced with CRR bars.

The experimental program was designed to evaluate how flexural performance at service and ultimate limit states are affected by a one-to-one replacement of Grade 60 with CRR bars, a reduction of concrete clear cover, and a reduction in rebar size. Structural analysis models were developed using Response 2000 in order to predict the CRR bridge deck moment-curvature and the moment-crack width relationships.

Experimental trends proved to be consistent with the analytical results demonstrating the viability of Response 2000 as a design tool for reinforced concrete with high-strength and nonmetallic rebar without a defined yield plateau. For reduced bar size and clear cover (2.00 in instead 2.50 in), ASTM A1035 and UNS S32304 specimens proved to have similar deformability ratios and crack widths that comply with current AASHTO requirements, with as much as 36% less steel.

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