Table Of ContentThis PDF is available from The National Academies Press at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14623
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer
Concrete for Bridge Decks
David W Fowler; David W Whitney; Transportation Research Board
ISBN
978-0-309-27762-4
75 pages
8.5 x 11
2012
Visit the National Academies Press online and register for...
Instant access to free PDF downloads of titles from the
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
10% off print titles
Custom notification of new releases in your field of interest
Special offers and discounts
Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the National Academies Press.
Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences.
Request reprint permission for this book
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Job No. XXXX Pantone 202 C 92+ pages; Perfect Bind with SPINE COPY = 14 pts
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
A W 5 T N
DDRESS SERVICE REQ ashington, D.C. 20001 00 Fifth Street, N.W. RANSPORTATION RESEAR CHRP SYNTHE NCHRP NATIONAL
U C S
ESTED H BOA IS 4 CHOIGOHPWEARYATIVE
R
D 2
3 RESEARCH
PROGRAM
SYNTHESIS 423
L
o
Long-Term Performance of
n
g
-
T
e Polymer Concrete for
r
m
P Bridge Decks
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
o
f
P
o
l
y
m
e
r
C
o
n
c
r
e
t
e
f
o
r
B
r
i
d
g
e
D
e
c
k
s
A Synthesis of Highway Practice
ISBN: 978-0-309-14354-7
T
R
B
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NEED SPINE WIDTH
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2011 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
Abbreviations used without definition in TRB Publications:
AAAE American Association of Airport Executives
OFFICERS
AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials
Chair:Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Vice Chair:Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America
Executive Director:Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
MEMBERS APTA American Public Transportation Association
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
J. BARRY BARKER,Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
DEBORAH H. BUTLER,Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
WILLIAM A.V. CLARK,Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
ATA Air Transport Association
EUGENE A. CONTI, JR., Secretary of Transportation, North Carolina DOT, Raleigh
ATA American Trucking Associations
JAMES M. CRITES, Executive Vice President of Operations, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, TX
CTAA Community Transportation Association of America
PAULA J. HAMMOND, Secretary, Washington State DOT, Olympia CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program
MICHAEL W. HANCOCK,Secretary, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Frankfort DHS Department of Homeland Security
ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley DOE Department of Energy
MICHAEL P. LEWIS, Director, Rhode Island DOT, Providence EPA Environmental Protection Agency
SUSAN MARTINOVICH, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City FAA Federal Aviation Administration
MICHAEL R. MORRIS, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington FHWA Federal Highway Administration
TRACY L. ROSSER, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Mandeville, LA FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
STEVEN T. SCALZO, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA FRA Federal Railroad Administration
HENRY G. (GERRY) SCHWARTZ, JR., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO FTA Federal Transit Administration
BEVERLY A. SCOTT,General Manager and CEO, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
DAVID SELTZER, Principal, Mercator Advisors LLC, Philadelphia, PA
ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers
LAWRENCE A. SELZER, President and CEO, The Conservation Fund, Arlington, VA
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
KUMARES C. SINHA, Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials
THOMAS K. SOREL, Commissioner, Minnesota DOT, St. Paul
NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program
DANIEL SPERLING, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy; Director, Institute of Transportation Studies;
NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program
and Interim Director, Energy Efficiency Center, University of California, Davis
NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
KIRK T. STEUDLE, Director, Michigan DOT, Lansing
NTSB National Transportation Safety Board
DOUGLAS W. STOTLAR, President and CEO, Con-Way, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI SAE Society of Automotive Engineers
C. MICHAEL WALTON,Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin SAFETY-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:
A Legacy for Users (2005)
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program
PETER H. APPEL, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998)
J. RANDOLPH BABBITT, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT TRB Transportation Research Board
TSA Transportation Security Administration
REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation
ANNE S. FERRO,Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
LEROY GISHI, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S.DOT
JOHN T. GRAY,Senior Vice President, Policy and Economics, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
DAVID T. MATSUDA, Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT
VICTOR M. MENDEZ, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
TARA O’TOOLE, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC
ROBERT J. PAPP (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard),Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC
CYNTHIA L. QUARTERMAN, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
PETER M. ROGOFF, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
DAVID L. STRICKLAND, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
JOSEPH C. SZABO,Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
POLLY TROTTENBERG, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
ROBERT L. VAN ANTWERP (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army),Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Washington, DC
BARRY R. WALLERSTEIN,Executive Officer, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, CA
*Membership as of June 2011.
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NEED SPINE WIDTH
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP
SYNTHESIS 423
Long-Term Performance of Polymer
Concrete for Bridge Decks
A Synthesis of Highway Practice
conSultantS
DAVID W. FOWLER
and
DAVID W. WHITNEY
University of Texas–Austin
SubScriber categorieS
Bridges and Other Structures • Highways • Maintenance and Preservation • Materials
Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2011
www.TRB.org
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP SYNTHESIS 423
Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Project 20-05 (Topic 39-11)
approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administra- ISSN 0547-5570
tors and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and ISBN 978-0-309-14354-7
can best be studied by highway departments individually or in coop- Library of Congress Control No. 2011936876
eration with their state universities and others. However, the accelerat-
ing growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex
problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are © 2011 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research.
In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their manuscripts
employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported
and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who
on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of
own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material
the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of
used herein.
the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to repro-
Transportation.
duce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit pur-
The Transportation Research Board of the National Research Coun-
poses. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the
cil was requested by the Association to administer the research pro-
material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMSCA,
gram because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding
FTA, or Transit development Corporation endorsement of a particular
of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this
product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the
purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which
material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will
authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it
give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any development or
possesses avenues of communication and cooperation with federal,
reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its
from CRP.
relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objec-
tivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists
in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research
NOTICE
directly to those who are in a position to use them.
The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National
by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments Co-operative Highway Research Program conducted by the Transpor-
and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research tation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of
needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing
Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State Board’s judgment that the program concerned is of national importance
Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the
these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies National Research Council.
are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this
and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly
National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines
The needs for highway research are many, and the National Coop- appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or
erative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions implied are those of the research agency that performed the research,
to the solution of highway transportation problems of mutual concern and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical com-
to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to mittee, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research
complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other highway Board, the National Research Council, the American Association of
research programs. State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway
Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical
committee according to procedures established and monitored by the
Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Govern-
ing Board of the National Research Council.
Published reports of the
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
are available from:
Transportation Research Board
Business Office
NOTE: The Transportation Research Board of the National Acad- 500 Fifth Street, NW
emies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Adminis- Washington, DC 20001
tration, the American Association of State Highway and Transporta-
tion Officials, and the individual states participating in the National and can be ordered through the Internet at:
Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely
because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Printed in the United States of America
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars
engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and
to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the
Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters.
Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy
of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in
the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising
the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed
at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of
engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the ser-
vices of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the
health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by
its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues
of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate
the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and
advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and
the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific
and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of
Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National
Research Council.
The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The
mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and prog-
ress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary,
and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other
transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom
contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments,
federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other
organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org
www.national-academies.org
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
NCHRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT 20-05 COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research
CHAIR Programs
CATHERINE NELSON CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative
Oregon DOT Research Programs
NANDA SRINIVASAN, Senior Program Officer
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications
MEMBERS
KATHLEEN S. AMES
Maker Baker Jr., Inc. SYNTHESIS STUDIES STAFF
STUART D. ANDERSON, STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and
Texas A&M University Special Programs
CYNTHIA J. BURBANK JON M. WILLIAMS, Program Director, IDEA and
PB Americas, Inc. Synthesis Studies
LISA FREESE JO ALLEN GAUSE, Senior Program Officer
Scott County (MN) Public Works Division GAIL R. STABA, Senior Program Officer
DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer
MALCOLM T. KERLEY
DON TIPPMAN, Senior Editor
Virginia DOT
CHERYL KEITH, Senior Program Assistant
RICHARD D. LAND
DEMISHA WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant
California DOT
DEBBIE IRVIN, Program Associate
JOHN M. MASON, JR.
Secretary, Florida DOT
ROGER C. OLSON TOPIC PANEL
Minnesota DOT AMIR N. HANNA, Transportation Research Board
DANIEL P. JOHNSTON, Pierre, South Dakota
ROBERT L. SACK
FRANK N. LISLE, Transportation Research Board
New York State DOT
DAVID A. MEGGERS, Kansas Department of Transportation
FRANCINE SHAW-WHITSON
NIGEL MENDS, Montana Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
GRETA SMITH, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
LARRY VELASQUEZ
MICHAEL M. SPRINKEL, Virginia Department of
JAVEL Engineering, LLC.
Transportation
MICHAEL STENKO, Transpo Industries Inc., New Rochelle,
FHWA LIAISONS New York
JACK JERNIGAN PETER J. WEYCAMP, New York State Department of Trans-
MARY LYNN TISCHER portation
SEUNG-KYOUNG, Federal Highway Administration, McLean,
TRB LIAISON Virginia (Liaison)
STEPHEN F. MAHER GLENN R. SMITH, Federal Highway Administration (Liaison)
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
FOREWORD Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which infor-
mation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and prac-
tice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence,
full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its
solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked,
and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviat-
ing the problem.
There is information on nearly every subject of concern to highway administrators and
engineers. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with
problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and
evaluating such useful information and to make it available to the entire highway commu-
nity, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—through
the mechanism of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program—authorized the
Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study, NCHRP Proj-
ect 20-5, “Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Problems,” searches out and syn-
thesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented
reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an NCHRP report series,
Synthesis of Highway Practice.
This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format,
without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report
in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures
found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.
PREFACE Thin polymer overlays (TPOs) consist of a polymer binder and aggregates with a thick-
ness not exceeding 25 mm (1 in.). They have provided long-lasting wearing surfaces for
By Jon M. Williams
bridge decks with many advantages, including adding very little dead load; very fast cure
Program Director
times; shallow depths that eliminate the need for raising approach slabs; ability to transi-
Transportation
tion from overlaid lane to non-overlaid lane during construction; low permeability; and
Research Board good frictional resistance. This study found that TPOs have become an accepted con-
struction method for deck preservation, restoring surface friction and extending the lives
of decks. When constructed properly on sound decks, TPOs should provide a service life
of 20 or 25 years.
Information was gathered through literature review, a survey of all state transportation
agencies, and selected interviews.
David W. Fowler and David W. Whitney, University of Texas at Austin, collected and
synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are
acknowledged on the preceding page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document
that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge
available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new
knowledge will be added to that now at hand.
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
NCHRP Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
CONTENTS
1 SUMMARY
3 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background, 3
Scope, 3
Major Definitions, 3
Methodology for Obtaining Information, 4
Report Organization, 4
6 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE FINDINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS
Uses of Thin Polymer Overlays, 6
Pre-Overlay Evaluation, 6
Repairs, 7
Materials Used in Overlays, 7
Installation, 7
Quality Control Tests, 10
Test Methods, 11
Thin Polymer Overlay Field Sections, 11
Failures, 19
Stresses in Overlays, 20
Special Applications, 21
Service Life, 24
Warranties, 24
Relative Cost, 24
Specifications, 24
26 CHAPTER THREE PERFORMANCE OF OVERLAYS FROM SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS
Scope of Surveys, 26
General Responses, 26
Overlay Cost, 26
Causes of Failures, 26
Specifications, 29
Materials, 30
Contractor Interviews, 30
Material Supplier Interviews, 31
32 CHAPTER FOUR PROVEN PRACTICES
Candidates for Overlays, 32
Overlay Types, 32
Materials, 32
Aggregates, 33
Qualification of Substrate, 34
Installation Methods, 36
39 CHAPTER FIVE REPAIR
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
