WINTER 2024

Structural Technologies
Encompasses More
Than Concrete Repair
Firm expands into additional
infrastructure markets
HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION
AIRPORT GUIDEWAY AND STATIONS PROJECT
Honolulu, Hawaii

FIRST U.S. BRIDGE WITH A 100% UHPC SUPERSTRUCTURE

St. Clair County, Michigan

Permit No. 567

Lebanon Junction, KY
Postage Paid
Presorted Standard
 Available Now!
PCI BRIDGE DESIGN MANUAL
4th Edition (MNL 133-23)
This new edition of the PCI Bridge Design
Manual presents both preliminary and
final design information for standard
beams and most precast and precast,
prestressed concrete products and sys-
tems used for transportation structures.
Load calibration and time-dependent
loss computations are extensively dis-
cussed, and the manual features updat-
ed design examples as well as refer-
ences to design examples found in the
third edition.
The fourth edition has been thorough-
ly revised to explain and amplify the
application of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge
Design Specifications and to illustrate
the effects from shrinkage and creep of
the cast-in-place concrete deck. Topics
in this comprehensive design manual
include background information, strat-
egies for economy, fabrication tech-
niques, design loads, preliminary design tables, design theory, and selected design exam-
ples. Chapters also address sustainability, bearings, extending spans, curved and skewed
bridges, integral bridges, segmental bridges, additional bridge products, railroad bridges,
load rating, repair and rehabilitation, and recreational bridges. Chapters on seismic design
and piles will be included in a later printing.
FREE PDF: pci.org/MNL-133-23
 CONTENTS
6
Features
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
Encompasses More Than Concrete Repair 6
Firm expands into additional infrastructure markets

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Airport Guideway and Stations Project 18
First U.S. Bridge with a 100% UHPC
Superstructure 24

Departments
Editorial 2
Photo: STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
Concrete Calendar 4
Perspective—National Concrete Bridge
Council—Making Things Happen 10
18 Perspective—Elastomeric Bearing Pads 13
Perspective—Development of the
AASHTO Guide Specifications for UHPC 16
Aesthetics Commentary 21
Concrete Bridge Stewardship—Bridge Component
Deterioration Models for Midwest States 28
NCBC Member Spotlight—CRSI Reflects on a
Century of Impact as It Turns 100 32
Concrete Bridge Technology—Fatigue
Design for Concrete Bridge Structures 34
Creative Concrete Construction—
Photo: Parsons Corporation
A State-of-the-Art Prestressed Concrete
Facility Designed with Sustainability in Mind 36
Safety and Serviceability—Raising the Reinforcing
24 Bar: Introducing Textured Epoxy Coating 38

Photo: STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES

CBEI Series—Vision and Progress 41
State—Wisconsin 44
A Professor’s Perspective—Operational
Strategies for Truck Platoon Permits 47
A Professor’s Perspective—
Lessons from Dr. Paul Zia 50
LRFD—Approved Changes to the Ninth Edition
AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications 52
Concrete Connections 54
FHWA—FHWA Report Offers a Fresh Look at
Photo: HiPer Fiber LLC/St. Clair County Road Commission
Partial-Depth Precast Concrete Deck Panels 55

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ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 1

 EDITORIAL

Bring ‘Em
Editor-in-Chief
William N. Nickas • [email protected]
Managing Technical Editor

Photo: PCI. Along Dr. Krista M. Brown

Managing Technical Editor Emeritus
Dr. Reid W. Castrodale
Dr. Krista M. Brown, Managing Technical Editor
Technical Editors
Monica Schultes, Angela Tremblay

F or how many generations has it been said, for their classroom. These opportunities should not Program Manager
“This younger generation doesn’t want to work be limited to engineers. A CAD operator could show Trina Brown • [email protected]
hard and isn’t as smart as we were”? I’ve heard this a REVIT model and allow students to try navigating Associate Editor
for more than 50 years, and I’m sure my parents through it or adding to it. These types of presentations Thomas L. Klemens • [email protected]
and grandparents heard it, too. Typically, when I ask improve your employees’ skills and are beneficial to Copy Editors
someone to provide facts substantiating this opinion, your organization, the industry, and local schools. Elizabeth Nishiura, Laura Vidale
they become flustered, offer a hearsay account, or Many organizations are suffering from reduced
Layout Design
change the topic. My supposition is that the belief is participation. Doing things as we’ve always done
Walter Furie
unfounded, and the root of the problem may lie with them is not improving the situation. Don’t just
us, not “them.” invite members of the younger generation to join; Editorial Advisory Board
Let’s take the case of an employee who is six months bring them along, introduce them, and ask for their William N. Nickas, Precast/Prestressed
into a position with your firm and you don’t feel they opinions! Follow up with them after the meeting. What Concrete Institute
Dr. Krista M. Brown, Independent Consultant
are “coming along” as you’d hoped. Hmm … Have did they find of interest? Perhaps they want to join
Dr. Reid W. Castrodale, Castrodale Engineering
they been given the appropriate tools, training, and a subcommittee, assist with an upcoming function, Consultants PC
supervision? Or were they shown their work area, given contribute to social media, or prepare a report or Tim Christle, Post-Tensioning Institute
an assignment, and left on their own to “figure it out”? presentation slides. The younger generation typically Pete Fosnough, Epoxy Interest Group of the
Are you concerned that they are not completing knows how to put pizzazz in graphics! This experience Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute
their assignment? Or is the issue that you expect the will also expand employees’ knowledge and skills. Gregg Freeby, American Segmental Bridge
task to be completed just as you would have done it in I recently met with the officers of a student Institute
the past? Explain what the task is, why it needs to be chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Cover
done, and what the time frame is. Then discuss ways to I was blown away! They presented the chapter’s STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is using a
approach the work. You may find that your employee budget, answered my in-depth questions, and told balanced-cantilever system to construct the Blue
knows another way, and the alternative method may me about planning and executing a field trip to a Ridge Parkway bridge over Interstate 26.
provide benefits. I was once part of a group that met power-producing dam. The chapter had also held an Ad Sales
on Saturday mornings to run a 5-mile loop. One day, outing at a local reservoir so the chair of the civil Scott Cunningham • [email protected]
a newcomer suggested that we run the loop clockwise. engineering department, who is highly experienced in (678) 576-1487 (mobile) or
The “seasoned” runners objected: “But we’ve always canoeing and kayaking, and the faculty advisor could (770) 913-0115 (office)
run counterclockwise!” When they were asked why and teach the students proper rowing techniques and
Reprints
could offer no reason, the new runner invited everyone water safety. At this single event, the student officers lisa scacco • [email protected]
to follow him clockwise, and we did. The world did not recruited new members, created enthusiasm for the
end, and we enjoyed a different view of the scenery. spring concrete canoe competition, grilled burgers, Publisher
It is important for all of us to have excellent and introduced lower- and upper classmates in an Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
communication skills. Create opportunities for your informal setting. Does this sound like a generation Bob Risser, President
If you need to update your contact information with us or have a
employees to make presentations. They will either that “doesn’t want to work hard and isn’t as smart”? suggestion for a project or topic to be considered for ASPIRE, please send
an email to [email protected].
wow you with their skills or show you where they Traditional ways of developing employees may
Postmaster: Send address changes to ASPIRE, 8770 W. Bryn Mawr
need some help. If you do not yet feel comfortable no longer suffice. We need to take a more active Ave., Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60631. Standard postage paid at Chicago,
having them present to a client, encourage them to role. Let’s ask our employees questions and listen IL, and additional mailing offices.
ASPIRE (Vol. 18, No. 1), ISSN 1935-2093, is published quarterly by the
get involved with a local school. Second graders find to their responses. What are their short- and long- Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.
a hardhat and high-vis safety vest really cool! The term goals? Show them the bigger picture—how https://doi.org/10.15554/asp18.1
presenter can mix concrete and have the students read their work impacts the project, the project team, and Copyright 2024 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.
and record the temperatures. With some thought, the organization’s bottom line. We may find out that we—
hardened concrete could become something useful not they—have a lot to learn.

Epoxy Interest Group Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Institute

Post-Tensioning Institute

2 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

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 CONCRETE CALENDAR 2024
The events, dates, and locations listed were accurate at the time of publication.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Please check the website of the sponsoring organization.

Rob Anderson is president

of Scougal Rubber in
Seattle, Wash. He has been January 7–11, 2024 April 15–18, 2024
with Scougal for more than Transportation Research CRSI Spring Business & Technical
30 years and manages their Board Annual Meeting Meeting
operations in Reno, Nev., Walter E. Washington Disneyland Hotel
and Seattle. Convention Center Anaheim, Calif.
Washington, D.C.
Romeo Garcia is a retired April 24–25, 2024
bridge construction January 17, 2024 NCBC Prestressed Concrete
engineer, formerly with the Galvanic Encasements & Bridge Seminar:
Federal Highway Jacket Systems Webinar Concepts for Extending Spans
Administration Office of (The Concrete Durability Series – Part 4) Atlanta, Ga.
Preconstruction, http://www.wesavestructures.info
Construction, and /webinars June 3–5, 2024
Pavements. International Bridge Conference
January 22–25, 2024 Marriott Rivercenter
Dr. Thomas Murphy is a World of Concrete San Antonio, Tex.
senior vice president and Las Vegas Convention Center
the chief technical officer Las Vegas, Nev. June 16–21, 2024
at Modjeski and Masters, 2024 AASHTO Committee on
where he leads the National February 6–9, 2024 Bridges and Structures Meeting
Bridge Group. PCI Convention at Westin Indianapolis
The Precast Show Indianapolis, Ind.
Hyatt Regency
Dr. Jay Puckett is a Denver, Colo. September 15–18, 2024
professor in the Durham AREMA 2024 Annual Conference
School for Architectural February 21, 2023 and Expo
Engineering and Extending Bridge Life Using Kentucky International
Construction at the Targeted Cathodic Protection Convention Center
University of Nebraska– Webinar Louisville, Ky.
Lincoln. (The Concrete Durability Series – Part 5)
http://www.wesavestructures.info/ September 23–27, 2024
webinars PCI Committee Days Conference
Dr. Sami Rizkalla is a
Renaissance Nashville
distinguished professor
March 18–21, 2024 Nashville, Tenn.
emeritus of Civil
NRMCA Annual Convention
Engineering and
JW Marriott Tampa Water Street October 1–4, 2024
Construction at North
Tampa, Fla. PTI Committee Days
Carolina State University.
Kempinski Hotel Cancun
Prior to retiring from the
March 20, 2024 Cancun, Mexico
faculty in 2018, Dr.
Surface Applied Cathodic
Rizkalla served as director of the Constructed
Protection Webinar October 20–23, 2024
Facilities Laboratory.
(The Concrete Durability Series – Part 6) ASBI Annual Convention
Ryan Schade is the http://www.wesavestructures.info/ and Committee Meetings
technical engineering webinars Loews Atlanta Hotel
manager at D.S. Brown Atlanta, Ga.
Company in North March 24–28, 2024
Baltimore, Ohio. ACI Concrete Convention November 3–7, 2024
Hyatt Regency New Orleans ACI Concrete Convention
New Orleans, La. Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
Philadelphia, Pa.
Dr. Joshua Steelman is an April 1, 2024
associate professor in the ASBI Grouting Certification November 10–13, 2024
department of Civil and Training Course CRSI Fall Business and Technical
Environmental Engineering J.J. Pickle Research Center Meeting
at the University of Austin, Tex. The Drake Hotel
Nebraska–Lincoln. Chicago, Ill.
April 14–17, 2024
PTI Convention
Westin Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Ind.
4 | ASPIRE Winter 2024
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 FOCUS

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
Encompasses More Than
Concrete Repair
The largest concrete repair contractor in the United States, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is
expanding into additional infrastructure markets and is dedicated to making new and existing
structures stronger and longer lasting.

by Monica Schultes

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
provides a variety of services aligned
to improve, protect, and enhance
existing infrastructure. They are the
exclusive manufacturer of VSL post-
tensioning and stay-cable systems in
the United States. Through acquisitions
and evolution, STRUCTURAL
TECHNOLOGIES also offers heavy-lifting
and sliding products and services for
new construction, as well as for the
demolition of existing structures. While
much of their work has been in the
commercial building and transportation
sectors, they have pivoted to increase
their work on bridge construction,
repair, and strengthening. These
efforts to expand include new and
existing public works projects, as well
as water containment structures and
underground structures such as pipes
and tunnels.

The amount of maintenance and

repair work on existing transportation
structures is increasing, and with the
influx of funds from the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, STRUCTURAL
TECHNOLOGIES anticipates more new
On the Interstate 59/20 project in Birmingham, Ala., STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES used
construction in their pipeline. With their
an alternative method to the traditional span-by-span erection of the precast concrete
renewed emphasis on the transportation
segments using longitudinal erection trusses. Each segment within a span was erected
market, they get involved in projects
onto custom-designed shoring towers, which allowed the use of traditional equipment
through several avenues. For example
and provided the contractor with flexibility in assigning crews and equipment to meet
their upstream group identifies long-term
the aggressive schedule. All Photos: STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES.
opportunities and the type of project
delivery method. While STRUCTURAL Fla., and their teams work in tandem services that enable durable and
TECHNOLOGIES is frequently a specialty with more than 3000 employees of sustainable solutions.”
subcontractor or part of a joint venture, parent company Structural Group Inc.
there are occasions where operating as which has 40 U.S. offices. According Durable Structures
the general contractor makes sense. to Bob Sward, vice president of When state agencies plan for bridges
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, “From with service lives of 75 to 100 years,
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES has early project stages until the end of a STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES supplies
offices in Dallas, Tex.; Denver, Colo.; structure’s life, we provide consultancy, VSL post-tensioning systems designed
Washington, D.C.; and Pompano Beach, engineered products, and construction to achieve those goals. The extent of

6 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

protection needed to safeguard the
tendons against corrosion is specified
History of STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
for each bridge. The most common
The orgin story of what is now the “nonunion” arm. All the technologies
protection level (PL) is PL2, which
Structural Group Inc. and STRUCTURAL that the company acquired or developed
refers to the tendon encapsulation of
TECHNOLOGIES is complex. Peter Emmons over time are housed in STRUCTURAL
main tensile elements as defined in
founded Structural Preservation Systems in TECHNOLOGIES. The Structural Group family
the PTI/ASBI M50.3-19, Specification
Maryland in 1974. Since then, companies of companies offers a comprehensive suite
for Multistrand and Grouted Post-
under the Structural Group umbrella have of technology products and engineering
Tensioning. 1 The highest protection
played an important part in developing services to make structures stronger
level, PL3, can be reached with fully
concrete repair and maintenance solutions. and last longer, including carbon-fiber
encapsulated and electrically isolated
strengthening, cathodic-protection systems,
tendons. In addition to the protection The Swiss company VSL, which is still in
and service-life modeling.
of the tendons, the system can be operation, was a pioneer in post-tensioning
monitored throughout the structure’s products. Its products have been used For decades, many have considered
entire life cycle. throughout the world since 1956 to Emmons’s book, Concrete Repair and
build, repair, and strengthen bridges and Maintenance Illustrated,2 to be the
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is well buildings, and use of VSL products in the preeminent reference for evaluating
versed in all aspects of post-tensioning. United States began on the West Coast in concrete problems and formulating surface
However, Sward says use of the higher- the 1960s. In 1998, Structural Preservation repair. Published in 1993, it has been
level PL3 systems is uncommon in Systems purchased the U.S. license for VSL translated into multiple languages and is
the United States. “There have been technologies. Bob Sward, vice president of used as an educational tool at numerous
some demonstration projects, but STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, recalls that universities.
the cost-benefit ratio over the life of the business initially was called V-Structural
Emmons has received numerous awards
the structure is difficult to quantify at LLC, but the name was changed to
as an expert on concrete repair. He served
this stage,” says Sward. “The current STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES in 2012.
as president of the International Concrete
perception in the United States is that “While we have the exclusive rights to the
Repair Institute (ICRI), past chairman of
the extra protection from PL3 systems VSL post-tensioning, stay-cable, and heavy-
ICRI’s Technical Activities Committee, and
may not be worth the premium cost,” lifting systems in the United States, we also
numerous ICRI and American Concrete
he adds. With more long-term data work collaboratively with VSL International
Institute (ACI) committees. Emmons
amassed from test projects, that trend on select projects,” says Sward.
continues to lead the industry and has
might change. (For more details on
Structural Preservation Systems was been recognized for his many contributions.
PL3 post-tensioning systems, see the
eventually folded under the Structural In 2005 he was named one of Concrete
Concrete Bridge Technology article in
Group umbrella of companies. Pullman was Construction’s “10 Most Influential People
the Summer 2023 issue of ASPIRE®.)
acquired in the early 2000s. It serves as the in the Concrete Industry,” and in 2014 he
Structural Group’s “union” arm for concrete was awarded ACI Foundation’s Innovation
Seismic Partnership repair and restoration, while STRUCTURAL in Concrete Award.
In August 2023, STRUCTURAL
or Structural Preservation Systems are
TECHNOLOGIES solidified their
commitment to expand their work in
the transportation sector through a maintenance technologies that are As specialty subcontractor to Johnson
partnership with SHO-BOND & MIT, a commonly used in Japan, which will Brothers Corporation, STRUCTURAL
Japan-based joint venture. The alliance improve our offerings in high-seismic TECHNOLOGIES provided and installed
adds advanced Japanese technologies zones.” the post-tensioning system and
in seismic repair and stabilization of formwork for the precast concrete
structures to the company’s product lines. Specialty Subcontractor segments for the third phase of
Post-tensioning and concrete segmental the bridge replacement project for
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES already bridge construction are among the Interstate 59/20 in Birmingham, Ala.
provides carbon-fiber strengthening and core competencies of STRUCTURAL The segmental precast concrete viaduct
cathodic-protection systems. Through TECHNOLOGIES. This fact is evident on used custom falsework towers that
the new partnership, they have access the Mosquito Road Bridge project in were also furnished by STRUCTURAL
to seismic devices used to prevent El Dorado County, Calif. The structure TECHNOLOGIES for the span-by-span
bridges from becoming unseated during is 375 ft above the South Fork of the construction. (For more details on this
seismic events. If there is a possibility of American River and has a 536-ft main project, see the Project and Concrete
such a failure, a restraint device such as span with 322-ft end spans. The bridge Bridge Technology articles in the Spring
the “shearing stopper” is one preventive is being constructed using the cast-in- 2020 issue of ASPIRE.)
measure. place, balanced-cantilever segmental
method. In addition to supplying the Prime Time
Sward is enthusiastic about the multistrand post-tensioning system, When the majority of a project’s scope
opportunities that await. “Working with STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is is in their sweet spot, STRUCTURAL
SHO-BOND will bring a wide range of providing the traveling forms for the TECHNOLOGIES often functions as
repair, reinforcement, and preventive project’s superstructure. the general contractor for the project.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 7

 a balanced-cantilever method. Serving
as subcontractor to the joint venture
between Fluor Corporation and United
Infrastructure Group, STRUCTURAL
TECHNOLOGIES has completed one
cantilever pier and mobilized to start
the next for the new 605-ft-long Blue
Ridge Parkway structure. Construction is
scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Blue Ridge Parkway Part 2

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is also
at work on another project along the
Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
Work is underway to replace the historic
Laurel Fork Bridge in Ashe County and is
During emergency repairs of the post-tensioning system in the Roosevelt Bridge in
expected to be completed in late 2024.
Stuart, Fla., crews severed the existing internal bonded continuity tendons in one span
The project includes a segmental precast
and replaced them with new external unbonded tendons.
concrete bridge with cast-in-place piers
Such was the case for the repair of the Asheville Interstate and abutments.
Roosevelt Bridge crossing the St. Lucie Expansion
River in Stuart, Fla. A key feature of the Asheville Interstate The project to construct the new
Expansion project is the modern precast 550-ft-long, 30-ft-wide, and 90-ft-tall
When a routine inspection in 2020 concrete segmental bridge on the structure is a joint venture with Vannoy
noted the presence of cracking Blue Ridge Parkway over Interstate 26 Construction, a local contractor whose
in one span on the southbound (I-26). Six additional new bridges will work complements STRUCTURAL
structure, the Florida Department of be constructed as part of this corridor TECHNOLOGIES’ segmental capabilities.
Transportation (FDOT) closed portions project that extends from Airport STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
of the Roosevelt Bridge. FDOT acted Road to the Interstate 40 interchange is supplying and erecting the precast
quickly to assemble a team to perform in Asheville, N.C. This portion of the concrete segments, and furnishing and
the emergency repairs. To expedite the I-26 widening project will expand the installing the post-tensioning system. The
work, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES interstate from four lanes to eight lanes, original structure built in 1939 has been
was selected as construction manager/ doubling the roadway’s capacity. demolished. Construction of the piers is
general contractor, which was FDOT’s currently under way, and erection of the
first use of this project delivery method. The three-span segmental precast precast concrete segments will begin in
concrete bridge is being constructed by the spring of 2024.
The segmental precast, post-tensioned
concrete bridge consists of 41 spans STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is using the balanced-cantilever system for construction
on two parallel structures that are each of the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge over Interstate 26. After lifting a precast concrete
approximately 4600 ft in length. It was segment into place, temporary post-tensioning bars are installed and tensioned to
determined that the cracking in one attach the segment to the cantilever.
of the spans was a result of corroded
tendons that had failed. STRUCTURAL
TECHNOLOGIES worked collaboratively
with FDOT and their engineers to
repair the structure, including the post-
tensioning tendons that had corroded,
and return the bridge to service as soon
as possible. To restore the segmental
precast concrete structure’s capacity, 48
new external post-tensioning tendons
were installed and injected with a
flexible filler. This innovative solution
will protect against corrosion and offers
FDOT the capability to replace tendons
in the future if needed. An epoxy-
overlay system was installed on the
bridge deck for additional protection.
(For more information on the Roosevelt
Bridge repairs, see the Summer 2022
issue of ASPIRE.)

8 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 Hard Hats to Helmets

While many consider Peter Emmons’s

contributions to the construction
industry to be his legacy, the “Hard
Hats to Helmets” (H2H) initiative is his
passion. Emmons has worked tirelessly
on H2H since a fatal accident involving
an employee on a Florida jobsite
demonstrated the need for better head
protection. Emmons believes that “the
construction industry can reduce the
number of head injuries and fatalities
today by saying ‘no’ to continuing to use
60-year-old hard hat designs and ‘yes’ to
A “shearing stopper” installed by STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES. This device resists
helmets that deliver the best technology
upward forces and horizontal forces in two directions to prevent the unseating or
available for head protection.” The sole
“stepping” of the superstructure, especially during seismic events.
mission of H2H is to educate the industry
Knowledge Transfer instead of traditional hard hats.”(See on how to reduce traumatic brain injuries
To succeed in the concrete repair the sidebar for more about this and deaths in construction.
industry, a company needs skilled initiative.) “Our focus is to empower the
Everyone at STRUCTURAL
and knowledgeable field personnel. people in the field to identify potential
TECHNOLOGIES is involved in promoting
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES realizes hazards. Every morning, they complete
the change from hard hats to helmets.
that the best design means nothing a jobsite safety analysis and see what
The American Society of Concrete
without proper execution and therefore is required to accomplish the work that
Contractors and other industry groups
emphasizes the need for continuous day,” he adds. Cross training allows
also stand behind the initiative to evolve
technical training and skills improvement employees in the field to be prepared
from traditional hard hats toward the
of field personnel. This is a worthwhile for a wide variety of scenarios. One
energy-absorbing helmets that better
investment in employees’ career growth. day they are repairing cables that were
protect frontline workers.
cut in a building, and the next they are
Whether it is performing a repair grouting tendons on a bridge.
or tensioning tendons, STRUCTURAL long-term performance of bridges. To
TECHNOLOGIES requires highly skilled “We are continuously trying to work demonstrate their commitment to the
professionals. Retaining and transferring smarter. We are constantly looking for industry, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
k n o w l e d g e a c ro s s t h e c o m p a n y ways to improve our process without teamed with the National Concrete
is vital to their success. Therefore, sacrificing quality or safety,” emphasizes Bridge Council for a webinar series
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES invests a Sward. For example, on a stay-cable entitled “Preserving and Extending
considerable amount of time in training. project in Ohio, field personnel saw the Service Life of Concrete Bridges.”
For example, to preserve the skills and ways to make small adjustments to Access to the previously recorded six-
lessons that are learned on each project, the process to eliminate the need for a part series is available at https://www.
they have recorded project supervisors person positioned on the outside of the structuraltechnologies.com/preserving-
and their crews on video and through pylon during installation. extending-the-service-life-of-concrete-
interviews. Every activity is documented, bridges.
from assembling formwork to chipping “We are
concrete, grouting, and tensioning a
continuously trying to References
tendon. This vast learning library is
available to everyone through the work smarter.” 1. Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI)
and American Segmental Bridge
company intranet. “We have invested
Institute (ASBI). 2019. Specification
in our best asset—our people and their
knowledge,” says Sward.
The Future for Multistrand and Grouted Post-
According to the American Road and Tensioning. PTI/ASBI M50.3-19.
“We have invested Transportation Builders Association,
36% of all U.S. bridges (approximately 2.
Farmington Hills, MI: PTI.
Emmons, P. H. 1993. Concrete
in our best asset— 224,000 structures) require repair work Repair and Maintenance Illustrated:
our people and their or replacement. 3 With that in mind,
STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES plays a
Problem Analysis, Repair Strategy,
Techniques. Kingston, MA: R.S.
knowledge.” vital role in efforts to prolong the life Means.
of and strengthen aging bridges. The 3. American Road and Transportation
Sward emphasizes that “safety starts entire concrete industry learns valuable Builders Association. 2023. “Bridge
with our frontline, including our lessons from repairs and, as a result, Report.” https://artbabridgereport.
commitment to protective helmets gleans a better understanding of the org.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 9

 PERSPECTIVE

National Concrete Bridge

Council—Making Things Happen
for the Concrete Bridge Industry

by Gregg Freeby, American Segmental Bridge Institute and National Concrete Bridge Council

In the Fall 2022 issue of ASPIRE ® , the U.S. Department of Transportation. to develop fair and technically
I wrote a Perspective that introduced Having ICRI join the ranks of NCBC will robust life-cycle assessment (LCA)
readers to the National Concrete Bridge help us to further assist the industry in requirements for the bridge market.
Council (NCBC) and outlined the this area. If you missed it, you can read The Federal Highway Administration
strategic objectives identified by the about ICRI’s Concrete Surface Repair (FHWA) publication Pavement Life
council. This article provides updates Technician Program in the Summer 2023 Cycle Assessment Framework2 provides
on NCBC’s latest activities and recent issue of ASPIRE. a framework for performing LCA for
progress. pavements, but no similar guidance
Sustainability currently exists for bridges. It’s time
New Member Also since the last update, NCBC has for the concrete and steel industries to
Since my previous article, NCBC embarked on a collaboration with work together to fill this gap.
has welcomed a new member, the the National Steel Bridge Alliance.
International Concrete Repair Institute While a collaboration between these Workforce Development
(ICRI). This new member will help otherwise competing industry groups Through deliberative collaboration
develop our focus on stewardship: How may sound shocking, it has happened with the American Association of
can NCBC help disseminate the existing before. In 2009, the concrete and steel State Highway and Transportation
body of knowledge and identify gaps in industries teamed up to craft a white Officials (AASHTO) and FHWA, NCBC
the inspection, evaluation, maintenance, paper on the 12 essential elements of is making progress on the workforce
and repair of concrete bridges? All a comprehensive quality system.1 This development front. NCBC has two
these actions are aimed at extending latest collaboration was announced in recent “wins” to report.
the service life of our existing concrete a Concrete Bridge Stewardship article
bridges. In addition, maintaining bridges in the Fall 2023 issue of ASPIRE. In a The first win was the adoption by
in a state of good repair is an objective of nutshell, this collaboration is intended AASHTO of the AASHTO/NCBC

Attendees listen to William N. Nickas, past chair of the National Concrete Bridge Council, during the Prestressed Concrete Bridge
Seminar: Concepts for Extending Spans workshop in Hudson, Wis. All Photos: Gregg Freeby.

10 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 NCBC is working to complete a new
publication called Guide to Post-
tensioned Transportation Structures. In
this document, NCBC will be updating
FHWA’s very popular Post-Tensioning
Tendon Installation and Grouting
Manual, 3 and supplementing it with
new content. The new guide, which is
on track to be balloted by the AASHTO
COBS in 2024, will include details for
spliced girders and troubleshooting
Challenge coins were given to all attendees at the Prestressed Concrete Bridge Seminar:
guidance, as well as other new
Concepts for Extending Spans workshop hosted by National Concrete Bridge Council in
resources for bridge practitioners
Hudson, Wis.
regarding all types of post-tensioned
“Resources for Concrete Bridge Design and many other subjects. Presentations transportation structures.
and Construction.” This document was on ethical issues were also included.
balloted for publication in May 2023 Attendees received a challenge coin NCBC also continues to collaborate with
at the AASHTO Committee on Bridges to mark the event. After refining the FHWA. The forthcoming Guide to Post-
and Structures (COBS) annual meeting program from this pilot workshop, tensioned Transportation Structures is
in Kansas City, Mo. As stated in the NCBC plans to host future sessions of just one example where a need was
Background section of the AASHTO this seminar, with the next offering likely identified and the two groups worked
agenda item: to be in Atlanta, Ga., in April 2024. together to come up with an innovative
solution in which NCBC becomes
This new document is the first To further help educate the workforce the steward for an existing FHWA
product developed under the in bridge stewardship, NCBC publication. As such, FHWA has also
AASHTO/NCBC Collaboration sponsored a series of six webinars in committed to updating the e-learning
Agreement. This document is the summer of 2022. These webinars modules that were created for the
a listing of resources for the covered a wide range of topics such previous manual so that they reflect the
concrete bridge practitioner as concrete fundamentals, evaluations, new guide. NCBC has also committed
that are made available by the analysis and design of repair solutions, to keeping the new guide current
American Association of State concrete repair basics, concrete bridge through regular updates, making this a
Highway and Transportation strengthening, and long-term bridge win-win situation for the industry.
Officials (AASHTO), the Federal protection. Each session was 90 minutes
Highway Administration long. Recordings of the sessions can Collaboration with CBEI
(FHWA), the members be accessed on the NCBC website NCBC continues to support the
of the National Concrete ( n a t i o n a l c o n c re t e b r i d g e . o r g ) . I n Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute
Bridge Council (NCBC) and addition, on October 18, 2023, NCBC (CBEI) as the various programs you have
selected other relevant began a series of six 1-hour webinars read about in previous issues of ASPIRE
sources. It is intended to be aimed at concrete bridge stewardship. come to fruition. The collaboration
a catalog or “bookshelf” of The session titles are as follows. between CBEI and NCBC means neither
important resources for the • Concrete Condition Assessments group is working alone, but rather in
design and construction of • Don’t Patch it, Repair it! tandem with a common objective: to
concrete bridges from these • ICCP and Electrochemical build better concrete bridges.
organizations. Treatments
• Galvanic Encasements and Jacket Visibility
The second win for NCBC was a Systems If you attended the International Bridge
pilot workshop titled “Prestressed • Extending Bridge Life Using Conference or the Western Bridge
Concrete Bridge Seminar: Concepts Targeted Cathodic Protection Engineers’ Seminar in 2023 and visited
for Extending Spans.” This first-of-its- • Surface Applied Cathodic the exhibit hall, I hope you stopped by
kind workshop was hosted in Hudson, Protection the NCBC booth. That’s right, NCBC has
Wis., for the Minnesota and Wisconsin Registration for upcoming webinars and started exhibiting at bridge conferences.
Departments of Transportation. Two recordings of those that are completed This effort is led by NCBC member
representatives from each of their can be found on the NCBC website. volunteers to help increase the visibility
prequalified engineering firms were and awareness of NCBC. While NCBC
also invited to attend. More than 100 Collaborations with continues to increase our support for
attendees participated during two full AASHTO and FHWA on the industry, it is important for the
days of instruction. Topics included an Future Publications industry to know about the resources
introduction to prestressed concrete, Under the recently executed available not only from NCBC but also
spliced girders, concrete segmental collaboration agreement with AASHTO, from our individual members. The next
bridges, strain compatibility, design NCBC is continuing to expand time you’re at a bridge conference, look
limit states, post-tensioning, fabrication, workforce development resources. for us. We’re likely to be there.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 11

 NCBC Continues to Grow
This is an exciting time for NCBC,
h t t p s : / / w w w. f h w a . d o t . g o v
/pavement/sustainability/hif16014
The First
and I am personally honored to serve .pdf. Edition of
as the current chair. The numerous 3. Corven, J., and A. Moreton. 2013.
opportunities that have been presented Post-Tensioning Tendon Installation
to NCBC and the outstanding response and Grouting Manual. FHWA-
and cooperation among members NHI-13-026. Washington, DC:
have already taken us places which our Federal Highway Administration.
founders could only have dreamed of. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge
More to come. /construction/pubs/hif13026.pdf.
____________
References Gregg Freeby is the executive director of
1. A m e r i c a n I n s t i t u t e o f S t e e l the American Segmental Bridge Institute
Construction (AISC) and Precast/ and chair of the National Concrete Bridge
Prestressed Concrete Institute Council.
(PCI). “AISC/PCI White Paper on
Quality Systems in the Construction
Industry.” Accessed October 6, EDITOR’S NOTE
2023. https://www.pci.org/PCI_Docs
/Certification/AISC_PCI_Quality Visit the National Concrete
_Systems_White_Paper.pdf. Bridge Council website at
2. Harvey, J. T., J. Meijer, H. Ozer, I. nationalconcretebridge.org for more
L. Al-Qadi, A. Saboori, and A. information about upcoming events,
Kendall. 2016. Pavement Life Cycle including the next Prestressed
User Manual for Calculating the Lateral
Assessment Framework. FHWA- Concrete Bridge Seminar, as well as
Stability of Precast, Prestressed Concrete
HIF-16-014. Washington, DC: webinar recordings and registration
Bridge Girders FREE PDF (CB-04-20)
Federal Highway Administration. links.

This document, User Manual for Calculating

the Lateral Stability of Precast, Prestressed
Concrete Bridge Girders, PCI Publication CB-
04-20, provides context and instructions for
the use of the 2019 version of the Microsoft
Excel workbook to analyze lateral stability
of precast, prestressed concrete bridge
products. The free distribution of this
publication includes a simple method to
record contact information for the persons
who receive the workbook program so that
they can be notified of updates or revisions
when necessary. There is no cost for
downloading the program.

This product works directly with the

PCI document entitled Recommended
Practice for Lateral Stability of Precast,
Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders, PCI
publication CB-02-16, which is referenced
in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design
Specifications. To promote broader use
of the example template, PCI developed a
concatenated Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
program where users may customize
inputs for specific girder products.

www.pci.org/cb-04-20

The National Concrete Bridge Council (NCBC) has begun exhibiting at various bridge
conferences to help increase the visibility and awareness of NCBC and its mission.

12 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 PERSPECTIVE

Elastomeric Bearing Pads:

Ask the Experts
Two industry experts provide insights and advice regarding the
important topic of elastomeric bearings for concrete bridges

by Monica Schultes

Elastomeric bearings allow transfer of

vertical loads, horizontal movement,
and structural rotation. They are valued
for their durability, reliability, low
maintenance requirements, and low
cost. Because elastomeric bearing pads
are crucial for safe and cost-effective
concrete bridge design, we posed
questions about them to the experts.
Their responses were edited for clarity
and brevity.

What percentage of
bridge bearing pads are Steel-laminated elastomeric bearings are commonly specified for their versatility and
elastomeric, either plain or low maintenance. The number and thickness of the steel laminates, the thickness of
laminated? the internal layers of elastomer, the cover (external layer) thickness of the elastomer,
Rob Anderson, Scougal Rubber: We the shear modulus of the elastomer, and plan dimensions of the bearing are among the
see 100% elastomeric bearing pads, parameters that must be designed for a steel-reinforced elastomeric bearing. All Photos
unless the bridge is very large and under and Figures: The D.S. Brown Company.
extreme loading. Steel-laminated (that
is, steel-reinforced) elastomeric bearings Evaluation and Audit Solutions program
are manufactured with alternating layers What changes or (formerly the National Transportation
of neoprene or natural rubber and steel innovations in bearing Product Evaluation Program [NTPEP])
sheets; then vulcanization permanently pads for concrete bridges is expanding to include more agencies
bonds the steel laminates to the rubber. have occurred in the last that prequalify bearing manufacturers.
decade?
Ryan Schade, The D.S. Brown Scougal: In the past 10 years we have Scougal: NTPEP is a worthwhile
Company: Approximately 90% of bridge seen higher loads and higher rotations program, and the independent audits
bearings that we see are elastomeric in bridge design. provide a level of confidence similar to
(plain or steel-reinforced elastomeric plant certification. AASHTO needs to
pads). We supply both; however, there D.S. Brown: The AASHTO LRFD encourage wider participation in the
are a few other types of bearings, specifications updated the design program in order to reap the benefits.
some of which we also supply: HLMR methodology so that Method B has
[high-load multirotational] bearings for evolved into a strain-based design, and What are the advantages
high-load and/or rotation conditions, Method A now allows slightly increased of AASHTO LRFD Method
and cotton-duck-impregnated rubber stresses. Sampling and lot requirements A (Article 14.7.6) versus
pads, which are stiffer and utilize were recently updated in AASHTO Method B (Article 14.7.5)?
a harder elastomer. There are also M251, Standard Specification for Plain
Scougal: In our opinion, Method A is
random-oriented fiber pads, which are and Laminated Elastomeric Bridge
a simpler design. AASHTO M251 has
exceedingly rare for bridges and are not Bearings.2
specific tests for Methods A and B.
covered by the American Association
There are additional tests in AASHTO
of State Highway and Transportation What changes are M251 that are required if specified
Officials’ AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design forthcoming? by the project specifications. The
Specifications.1
D.S. Brown: The AASHTO Product standard tests are relatively easy to do

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 13

 and are completed multiple times a
day by the manufacturers, who have
the equipment to perform them. The
optional tests can be lengthier and more
difficult to perform and are very seldom
specified.

D.S. Brown: Method A is a simpler and

more conservative design. Only specify
elastomer durometer for Method A, and
only specify shear modulus for Method
B. Designers can refer to Section 2.3.1.3
in the AASHTO/NBSA [National Steel
Bridge Alliance] Steel Bridge Bearing
Guidelines (G9.1)3 for material
properties of elastomeric bearings.
When specifying shear modulus,
follow the noted section commentary
on recommended values, as it allows
manufacturers to provide standard
elastomer compounds and still meet
tolerances.

What recommendations
do you have for bridge
designers?
D.S. Brown: Use available reference
guidelines where possible, which
include all state specifications, standard
drawings where available, AASHTO
LRFD Sections 14 and 18, and AASHTO/
NSBA G9.1. The PCI e-learning courses
on bridge bearings [see sidebar] are also
great references. For unique details,
check with bearing manufacturers
to ensure that they are feasible and
economical.

Scougal: Bearing design is finding a

balance between stiffness and flexibility.
Steel plates are added for greater
stiffness, and for greater flexibility A low-friction polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dimpled sheet, which is used as a sliding
additional rubber is used. When top surface on laminated elastomeric bearings. Dimples on PTFE surfaces function as
designers follow the AASHTO LRFD reservoirs that receive lubricant before assembly.
specifications in Section 14, the results
to ensure there are no conflicts with
are typically conservative and apply
reinforcement. Verify that connection What are the recommended
to most construction and installation
bolt locations do not conflict with solutions for bearings
settings. Some states have their own
bearing plan dimensions. For bearings under wide elements
design and testing specifications. It is
that are bonded to external plates, like box beams or for
recommended that designers follow one
identify the bond (for example, multistemmed members?
and not pick and choose from different
vulcanized) and provide adequate D.S. Brown: In our experience, these
specifications, which makes it confusing
spacing between other plates, keepers, tend to be shorter spans and do not
for the manufacturer.
and shear blocks to allow for mold need to accommodate significant
placement and removal. movement or rotations, which allows
Are there poor practices engineers to utilize continuous plain
that could be avoided? Scougal: It is important to have elastomeric pads or pads butted
D.S. Brown: There can be a lack of sufficient information on shop drawings. together. Elastomeric bearings require
information on stud placement and Verify that the pad orientation and loads to be evenly distributed. If the
embedded plate details. The bridge thickness agree with what is shown on beam width is smaller than the bearing
designer should specify the locations the plans. width, adequate steel plate thickness

14 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

will be required to distribute the load low maintenance as compared to Bridge Design Specifications. 9th ed.
to counteract plate bending. For that other types. Installation can impact Washington, DC: AASHTO.
reason, we recommend that when elastomeric bearing service life. 2. A A S H T O . 2 0 2 2 . S t a n d a r d
PTFE [polytetrafluoroethylene] sliding Damaging the coating on external Specification for Plain and Laminated
surfaces are used, they should have steel, damaging the external rubber Elastomeric Bridge Bearings,
plan dimensions similar to the bearing layers which exposes internal laminates M 251M/M 251. Washington, DC:
to avoid a significant bending moment to the elements, scratching stainless AASHTO.
on the distribution plate. PTFE is a low- steel or PTFE, or setting the girders 3. AASHTO/National Steel Bridge
friction material, so it is used when at the wrong temperature or not Alliance (NSBA) Steel Bridge
larger movements are needed for resetting the pads when necessary can Collaboration. 2023. Steel Bridge
elastomeric bearings (movement beyond shorten the life span of the bearing Bearing Guidelines. 2nd ed. G9.1-
what you would want to design the pad. Trying to position the bearings 2022. Chicago, IL: NSBA. https://
bearing to handle in shear). by hitting them or other methods that www.aisc.org/globalassets/nsba
crack or gouge the elastomer cover /aashto-nsba-collab-docs/g
What factors affect the also shortens their life spans. -9.1-2022-steel-bridge-bearing
service life of elastomeric -guidelines.pdf.
bearings? Conclusion ____________

Scougal: It is important to select the best Ultimately, the goal is to design and Ryan Schade is the technical engineering
bearing type for your project. Whether detail bridge bearings that are cost manager at the D.S. Brown Company in
your bridge requires a pot bearing, effective, functional, and durable. North Baltimore, Ohio.
spherical, disc, elastomeric, cylinder, or With that in mind, take advantage of Rob Anderson is president of Scougal
seismic isolator is determined mainly by the expertise available to the industry Rubber in Seattle, Wash.
forces and movement. through manufacturers and industry
resources.
D.S. Brown: The life expectancy of PCI eLearning Module on
elastomeric bearings is typically much References Bridge Bearings
longer than other types of bearings.
1. American Association of State
They are also economical for small-
Highway and Transportation Officials Elastomeric bearings are commonly
to-moderate loads, rotations, and
(AASHTO). 2020. AASHTO LRFD specified for their low cost and minimal
movements, and they are relatively
maintenance requirements compared with
The addition of a low-friction sliding surface such as polytetrafluoroethylene mechanical-type bearings. However, proper
(PTFE) allows a laminated elastomeric bearing to accommodate greater horizontal design and installation are needed to avoid
displacement. This type of bearing configuration is often used for precast concrete problems like crushing, delamination, and
bridges. slippage of the bearing pads. In an effort
to educate the design and construction
community on the importance of properly
specifying and installing bearing pads, the
PCI Committee on Bridges has added this
topic to their selection of online courses.
Elastomeric bearing pads have been
used for decades for transferring
loads on all types of concrete
bridges. The terms “elastomeric
bridge bearing,” “pot bearing,” and
“elastomeric bearing” are often used
interchangeably. The AASHTO LRFD
specifications provides two methods
by which bearings may be designed:
Method A or B. To help designers with
the proper selection, the first PCI course
(T450) focuses on the simplified Method
A, and the next course (T455) addresses
Method B. The T455 module includes
design examples and commentary as
well as pitfalls to avoid for all types of
rail and highway structures.
For more information, visit https://oasis.pci.
org/Public/Catalog/Home.aspx?Criteria=17
7&Option=738&tab=2

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 15

 PERSPECTIVE

Development of the AASHTO

Guide Specifications for
Ultra-High-Performance Concrete

by Dr. Thomas Murphy, Modjeski and Masters, and Dr. Oguzhan Bayrak, University of Texas at Austin

Recent advancements in concrete girder sections that take advantage and the dedication of the research
materials science led to the of the properties of this material— teams carrying out the work, the guide
development of ultra-high- thus resulting in much more slender specification would not exist.
performance concrete (UHPC). In May webs and better-optimized flanges—
2023, to facilitate the use of UHPC- the practical span lengths for precast To be considered a UHPC by the guide
class materials in bridge design, concrete components can be extended. specification, the material must have a
the American Association of State Reductions in superstructure weight in strain-hardening behavior in tension, a
Highway and Transportation Officials UHPC bridges can result in structures minimum compressive strength of 17.5
(AASHTO) Committee on Bridges and that employ a greater fraction of their ksi, and a minimum effective cracking
Structures adopted a guide specification capacities to support live loads and strength of 0.75 ksi. The fibers used to
addressing the design of structural superimposed loads, leading to greater obtain these mechanical properties must
components made from UHPC. This levels of structural efficiency. be steel, although other nonsteel fibers
guide specification is the culmination can also be included. Generally, UHPCs
of the efforts of various organizations The guide specification was developed contain no coarse aggregate; instead,
and individuals to make this advanced based on research performed by the particle packing, admixtures, fibers, and
material available for use in bridges. The Federal Highway Administration, a low water–cementitious materials ratio
development of the guide specification research and development sponsored are used to obtain high compressive
was driven by the need for explicit by PCI, and other research efforts in and tensile strengths. UHPCs are self-
guidance on how to design bridges the United States and around the consolidating, but adjustments to the
using this new material, whose failure world. Without the long-term vision batching process can be required to
mechanisms may differ from those of and commitment of these organizations properly mix the material.
conventional concrete. Use of UHPC,
which began primarily in cast-in-place
joints between precast concrete deck
components, has been expanding into
more prominent structural components
and connections. Thus, there is a
need for design equations that can
accurately predict the capacity of
components constructed using UHPC in
a design framework that is consistent
with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design
Specifications.1 When using UHPC for

Appearance of ultra-high-performance concrete in its fresh state as it is used for testing (left) and beam production (right). Photos: PCI.

16 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

The guide specification provides of the resistance to tensile stresses arising calculating capacities for flexure and
minimum and typical values for the from either flexure or shear. shear at the strength limit states, the
important mechanical properties of guide specification also addresses
UHPC based on the testing that has Because it is necessary to service limit states. For flexure,
been performed to date. Designers are mathematically keep track of controlling stresses are provided in
encouraged to open a dialogue with strains in the design, flexural design compression and tension. These are
suppliers to ensure that the properties is accomplished using a strain- very similar to the stress limits governing
required by the design are practical and compatibility approach. For shear, the the design of conventional concrete
achievable. For UHPC used in precast modified compression field theory components, with the addition of a
and prestressed concrete components, (MCFT) of design has been adapted tensile strain check for nonprestressed
the guide specification provides for UHPC. Since crack localization may components.
additional guidance on the values for occur before shear reinforcement yields,
mechanical properties that have proven an iterative approach to determining the The calculation of creep and shrinkage
to be practical and economical, in a key variables in the MCFT equations is strains, and the resulting prestress
relative sense, in prior research. needed. However, tables are provided losses, are addressed in the guide
for these variables in an appendix of specification. Shrinkage in UHPC can
In terms of structural behavior, aside the guide specification; these tables be larger than that of conventional
from the dramatic differences in may be used if the designer desires to c o n c re t e d u e t o t h e a c t i o n o f
compressive and tensile strengths, the avoid iterations and is willing to accept autogenous shrinkage, which is caused
primary distinction between traditional a more conservative result. Unlike by the chemical reactions that occur
concrete and UHPC is the potential for typical designs employing conventional during curing and is more prevalent
a failure mode involving the localization concrete, consideration for the tensile in UHPC because UHPC has a higher
of cracking. This mode of failure occurs strength of UHPC is allowed in structural proportion of cement content. Available
when the tensile strains reach a critical design. This aspect of structural design data indicate that the amount of creep
value and the cracking in the UHPC, necessitated a series of considerations exhibited by UHPC can vary significantly
which tends to be well distributed before that are not common in designs based on the properties of the individual
this strain, localizes into a single, large conducted per the AASHTO LRFD mixtures and curing techniques, and
crack. The fibers spanning the crack will specifications for conventional concrete. designers therefore need to allow
then begin to fail, resulting in an increase for variations in the predicted creep
in tensile stress in any prestressed or For strength limit states, the resistance deformations. Other topics covered in
nonprestressed reinforcement crossing factor φ varies depending on whether the guide specification include interface
the crack. Depending on the relative the section is expected to experience shear capacities, and development and
proportions of the cross section, this c r a c k - l o c a l i z a t i o n b e h a v i o r. T h i s transfer lengths for reinforcement in
phenomenon can result in a rapid loss of variable is determined through the UHPC.
strength with additional deflection. The use of a curvature-ductility ratio, with
phenomenon can occur both in flexure the resistance factor ranging from AASHTO is currently developing a
and in shear, and is predominantly a maximum of 0.9 for conventional companion material specification to
a concer n when the amount of behavior to 0.75 when crack localization define how the material properties of
reinforcement in the section is low, with is expected. a UHPC should be established through
the UHPC supplying a large proportion In addition to providing methods for testing, and how these properties
should be verified at the project and
Direct tension test of an ultra-high-performance concrete prism. Photo: Federal
component level. It is expected that
Highway Administration Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.
the material specification will be ready
for consideration by the AASHTO
Committee on Bridges and Structures at
its annual meeting in June 2024.

Reference
1. American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO). 2020. AASHTO LRFD
Bridge Design Specifications. 9th ed.
Washington, DC: AASHTO.
____________
Dr. Thomas Murphy is a senior vice
president and the chief technical officer
at Modjeski and Masters.
Dr. Oguzhan Bayrak is a chaired professor
at the University of Texas at Austin, where
he serves as the director of the Concrete
Bridge Engineering Institute.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 17

 PROJECT

Honolulu Authority for Rapid

Transportation Airport Guideway
and Stations Project
by William (Bill) Elkey, Parsons Corporation, and Chris Hall, SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies

In the Hawaiian capital city of Honolulu,

the highway congestion is considered
among the worst in the United States.
For example, Honolulu ranked high in
the 2019 Urban Mobility Report for
traffic congestion and commuter delays
for medium-sized cities; the report
found that in 2017 drivers in Honolulu
spent an additional 64 hours per year
delayed in traffic.1

While the greater area of Honolulu has

a robust bus system, the city does not
have high-capacity transit. To address
this need, the Honolulu Authority
for Rapid Transportation (HAR T) Figure 1. Full project build out of the Honolulu rail system, which is officially named the
is constructing 20 miles of grade- Skyline. Figure: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
separated rail in the most-populated
part of the island, connecting the The project path will intersect suburban structure for nearly the entire length
communities along the leeward side of communities, popular destinations, and of the alignment. Even in sparsely
Oahu to the center of Honolulu. major work centers. Pearl City, Aloha populated areas, an elevated guideway
Stadium, the Honolulu International was chosen to allow for greater
Project Background Airport, and the Pearl Harbor Naval flexibility in future development.
The HART system will extend 20 miles Base will all be included. The strategic
and include 21 stations, starting from the placement of this alignment will provide An initial operating segment covering
suburban city of Kapolei located east of access to 70% of the total population the western 10 miles of alignment was
Honolulu, navigating to the city core, and of Hawaii and 80% of the job centers. opened in July 2023. The next major
terminating at the Ala Moana Mall, one segment, which is being built under a
of the busiest shopping centers in the Because the transit corridor is largely design-build civil construction package
state and adjacent to the popular visitor located in an urban environment, the known as the Airport Guideway and
area of Waikiki (Fig. 1). system is designed as an elevated Stations (AGS) project, is nearly complete.

HART AIRPORT GUIDEWAY AND STATIONS PROJECT / HONOLULU, HAWAII

profile OWNER’S ENGINEER: Stantec Consulting, Edmonton, AB, Canada
BRIDGE DESIGN ENGINEERS: Parsons Corporation, Centerville, Va., and SYSTRA/International Bridge Technologies,
San Diego, Calif.
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER: Shannon & Wilson, Seattle, Wash.
CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER: McNary, Bergeron, & Johannesen, Broomfield, Colo.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: STG—a joint venture with Shimmick Construction, Traylor Bros., and Granite Construction,
Honolulu, Hawaii
CONCRETE SUPPLIER: HC&D LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii

18 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

General Description
The AGS project is 5.2 miles long and
entirely above grade on an elevated
structure. The four stations along the
alignment are integrated within the
elevated structure and feature themes
that reflect historical and traditional uses
of the station sites.

The structure carries dual tracks for

the trains, with a center walkway for
emergency egress and maintenance
personnel. The walkway is constructed
from prefabricated concrete components
with an interior void capable of carrying
the low-voltage cables necessary for the
operation of the train (Fig. 2).
Figure 2. Typical guideway cross section. Figure: Parsons Corporation and SYSTRA
Over the length of the AGS segment
International Bridge Technologies.
are many different conditions, which
require customized engineering and convergence of the Moanlua and Kalihi change substantially reduced component
construction solutions. The guideway streams, the soil conditions amplify the weights, which led to savings in post-
structure typically consists of a seismic accelerations by a factor of 2.5 tensioning steel in the span and lighter
trapezoidal concrete box girder that above the free-field response. loads on the foundation, while still
is supported by single-column piers meeting the train dynamic limits of 2.5
and built using the segmental precast Typical Guideway Hz of fundamental frequency per span.
concrete construction method. Under Superstructure The typical 140-ft span has four tendons
this approach, individual precast concrete The HART AGS project was originally per web, including two tendons with
segments are delivered to the site in 8- to planned as a traditional design-bid- sixteen 0.6-in.-diameter strands and two
11-ft-long sections that are assembled build contract, and the construction tendons with fifteen 0.6-in.-diameter
with an overhead erection gantry. This plans were developed to a high level strands.
strategy is very useful within the dense during that time. When the decision
urban environment of Honolulu, and a was made to deliver the project under a A second design refinement optimized the
typical 140-ft span can be erected very design-build procurement, the design- length of the precast concrete segments.
quickly. In total, 2703 segments were build team had an opportunity to refine The original segment length of 9 to 10
cast for this project. the well-developed design details and ft was increased to a typical length of 10
optimize opportunities that are not ft 6 in., with a maximum length of 11 ft.
In addition to an urban landscape, the usually available in a design-build project. That change resulted in fewer segments
alignment crosses three environmentally per span. Compared with the original
sensitive streams, abuts a major military The first area of opportunity involved design concept, the number of segments
base, and encounters challenging the typical span unit, the structure was reduced by 10%, which translated
geotechnical conditions for foundations. type for most of the alignment. into fewer segments to cast and transport
While the Honolulu region is defined Implementing concepts from other to the site.
as a moderate seismic zone, poor soil projects, the typical cross section was
properties affect seismic-loading refined with an alternative shape that These modifications are indicative of the
conditions in certain locations. Near the used 25% less concrete (Fig. 3). This creative collaboration in a design-build

HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION (HART), OWNER

POST-TENSIONING SUPPLIER: Schwager Davis Inc., San Jose, Calif.
ERECTION GANTRY AND PRECAST CONCRETE FORM SUPPLIER: Rizzani de Eccher/DEAL, Italy
BRIDGE DESCRIPTION: 5.2 miles of elevated guideway with segmental precast concrete construction carrying twin train alignments, with typical
spans of 120 ft and maximum spans of 166 ft. The alignment includes the construction of four integral passenger stations.
STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS: Typical 8-ft 6-in.-deep precast concrete segments with a 30-ft 6-in.-wide deck. Segment lengths range from 8 to 11
ft. Specialty 4-ft 6-in.-deep segments are used for locations with reduced overhead clearance. Support piers are conventionally reinforced concrete with a
round shaft and widened pier cap to support the span. Piers are typically supported on a single large-diameter reinforced concrete drilled shaft.
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION COST: $963.6 million (estimate as of August 2023)

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 19

 Figure 3. The guideway section on the left shows the optimized precast concrete segment section developed during the design-build
refinements. The section on the right is the originally proposed section. The optimized section resulted in a 25% reduction in concrete.
Figure: Parsons Corporation and SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies.

procurement. Design options can be experienced during normal (nonseismic) structure depth of 4 ft 6 in., a cast-in-
developed with a construction team to operations. For locations with bearings place structure would be considered
optimize constructability and operations. that are only subjected to uplift under conventional. However, because the rest
seismic loadings, typical elastomeric of the alignment has a depth of 8 ft 6
Airport Alignment bearings with tie-down rods were in. and was built with segmental precast
The path through the Daniel K. Inouye provided. concrete, the change in construction
International Airport (HIA) presented method would have required an
some of the most difficult challenges After leaving the airport terminal area, interruption of the overhead gantry,
along the AGS guideway alignment. The the alignment follows Ualena Street. A which would have had cost and schedule
guideway configuration into the airport notable feature within this zone is the implications.
begins at an unusually high elevation limited airspace above the guideway.
above ground. With a maximum column Given its proximity to the airport, this Collaboration between the design
height of approximately 72 ft, the HART part of the alignment is identified as an and construction teams led to the
alignment was set for future expansion emergency egress for flight paths out development of a precast concrete
of the airport and to accommodate of the airport. Because clearance below solution that relied on continuous spans
clearance above the tail of an A380 the guideway is required for vehicles, to make the structure feasible. The
Airbus jet. and with limited space above, a shallow reduced structure depth was required
superstructure was necessary. for 722 ft along the alignment, which
AGS guideway construction through HIA was divided into three- and four-span
required managing very tight geometry The original design concept envisioned continuous units, with the last two
for both the final guideway configuration a cast-on-falsework guideway over 1775 spans requiring straddle bents with
and the construction equipment and ft in length. Given the limited allowable integral pier caps (Fig. 5). For the shallow
gantry, while minimizing the impact of
construction on the active airport and the Figure 4. Nighttime installation of precast concrete segments within the footprint of
central post office for the island. Another Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. More than 2700 segments were cast at a nearby
concern was the project’s effects on facility and transported approximately 20 miles to the jobsite. Photo: Shimmick, Traylor,
airport parking. During the construction and Granite Joint Venture.
of the guideway through this area,
HIA had three parking structures and
a fourth under construction. All of
these structures are served by a series
of at-grade and elevated roads and
walkways. Figure 4 illustrates the
challenges of constructing through this
highly developed and compact facility.

The entrance into the station area at

HIA required some of the tallest piers
constructed on the project. These
piers also support the spans having
the project's tightest radius of 400
ft, followed by a reverse curve and
another 400-ft radius as the alignment
approaches the new HIA station. This
intricate route created significant uplift at
certain bearings, which was accounted
for by incorporating specialized uplift
bearings at locations where uplift was

20 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 The offset columns are often referred corridor are quite varied. Several types
to as C-bents and L-bents, with the of soil encountered on this project
difference being the placement of the present notable challenges:
foundation. For a C-bent, the foundation • Coralline detritus and coralline reef
is centered under the guideway, while rock: These soil layers consist of
for an L-bent, the foundation is centered the fossil remains of coral reefs and
under the column. The permanent, offset related debris and marine deposits.
loads of the guideway to the column The soils can be very porous and
create significant flexural demands. weakly cemented, and therefore
The most efficient means of resistance are not considered for tip (bearing)
is to provide post-tensioning; however, resistance.
this option is inherently nonductile, • Recent alluvium: Thick, layered,
which is not desirable in a moderate- continuous beds of fine-grained
Figure 5. To accommodate overhead to high-seismic zone. In the C-bents, if marsh sediments. These medium-
clearance requirements at Ualena the tendons were bonded, the strain to very-loose sediments include
Street, shallower-depth precast concrete deformations in the strand would occur organic material, shells, clays, and
guideway segments are used. Photo: over the crack widths within the hinge silts. Total layer thicknesses in some
Parsons Corporation. zone. To overcome this challenge, the areas, such as near Kalihi Stream,
vertical tendons in the column were exceeded the boring depths.
superstructure in this area, the post- unbonded and avoided participation with • Ko’olau basalt: The oldest geologic
tensioning was slightly modified from the ductile portion of the column. Thus, unit, it generally consists of lava
the typical spans and consisted of four in the current detail, the deformation in flows with mantles of cobbles and
tendons per web, typically with twenty the tendon is distributed over the height boulders.
0.6-in.-diameter strands per tendon of the pier.
and additional continuity tendons over In areas toward the west end of the
the piers. Access for future inspections L-bents were used when there was limited project, basalt elevations were relatively
and maintenance is provided by access access to place a pile cap, and the most shallow, resulting in shaft lengths on
hatches through the bottom slab of the extreme case on the project occurred the order of 20 ft. These dry, shallow
boxes or from span-to-span through- over the Aolele Canal. The design was drilled shafts were generally installed
access “doghouses.” originally envisioned as a straddle bent, using standard auger equipment, and
but construction access was extremely were either 7.2 or 9.8 ft in diameter. In
Special Piers and difficult at this location, so the design contrast, in Kalihi Stream, the maximum
Foundations team developed an L-pier solution. The 9.8-ft-diameter shaft is approximately
In the urban area of Honolulu, pier dimensions included an offset of 17 ft 350 ft deep, which at the time was the
placement became more challenging. between the center of alignment and the deepest shaft of its kind ever drilled.
It was preferable for each pier to be column, a 7 × 9 ft oblong column, and a
centered directly under the guideway; 12-ft-diameter drilled shaft (Fig. 6). Conclusion
however, the ground space was not The HART AGS guideway is an example
always available, and offset columns or Because Oahu is a volcanic island, of efficient, repetitive, and economical
straddle bents were needed. subsurface conditions along the AGS construction that is ideal for elevated

into this trap. For example, everybody knows that

shorter spans are more economical, unless the
additional piers cost more than the savings on the
superstructure. For this project, the conventional
wisdom was that the Ualena Street segment
would be more economical as cast-in-place
“Improving aesthetics always adds cost!” How transparent and thus a more welcome component construction, but the design-builder recognized
many times have you heard that one? Well, here’s of the communities through which it passes. Such that this choice would impose costs elsewhere
an example where improved aesthetics reduced “twofers” are available more often than most
in the project due to the need to redeploy the
cost. The segment cross section was optimized people imagine. They should be the goal of all
construction gantry. Instead, they developed an
by the design-builder to reduce the guideway's engineering refinement.
innovative way to use segmental precast concrete
cost, but the resulting changes also improved its There is sometimes a tendency to make deci- construction on Ualena Street. As a result, the
appearance. The shallower angles on the webs sions based on the optimization of one part of guideway looks the same throughout the length
and the more definitively rounded corners on a structure, ignoring the costs that it might add of the light-rail transit system, giving the whole
the box give the guideway a sleeker and more to other aspects of the construction. Following project a visual continuity that makes it a welcome
streamlined shape, making the structure more widely accepted rules of thumb is one way to fall neighbor in all the varied communities it serves.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 21

 transit structures. The segmental precast
concrete design allows construction on
multiple fronts, with minimal impact to
the surrounding work site. The design
adapted the typical structure for use in
multiple challenging conditions and with
various configurations at the stations, at
longer spans, and at tightly curved spans.

Project design started in 2017, and

construction is scheduled to be
completed in early 2024. Visit https://
i 5 m c 1 f . p 3 c d n 1 . s e c u r e s e r v e r. n e t
/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2022
-March-Webinar.pdf for project details
that were presented in an American
Segmental Bridge Institute webinar.

Reference
1. Schrank, D., B. Eisele, and T. Lomax.
2019. 2019 Urban Mobility Report.
College Station: Texas A&M University
Transportation Institute. https://rosap
.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/61408.
____________

Figure 6. L-bents were used when there was limited access to place a pile cap. The most William (Bill) Elkey is a vice president
with Parsons Corporation in Honolulu,
extreme case on the project occurred over the Aolele Canal, where there is a 17 ft offset
Hawaii. Chris Hall is a senior vice
between the center of the guideway and the column. Photo: SYSTRA International president with SYSTRA International
Bridge Technologies. Bridge Technologies in San Diego, Calif.

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22 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

2025 PCI
CONVENTION
INDIANAPOLIS ■ INDIANA

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT PCI.ORG OR

CONTACT [email protected].
 PROJECT

First U.S. Bridge with a 100%

UHPC Superstructure: A Small
Bridge with Big Implications
Bricker Road Bridge over Quackenbush Drain, St. Clair County, Mich.

by Dr. Sherif El-Tawil, HiPer Fiber LLC, and William Hazelton, St. Clair County Road Commission

The Bricker Road Bridge over the The cost-saving aspects of this project Although the upfront cost savings are
Quackenbush Drain in St. Clair County, are notable. First, although the an advantage, the true benefit of UHPC
Mich., is the first U.S. bridge with a materials for UHPC cost more than is its extreme durability, which stems
100% ultra-high-performance concrete regular concrete, the materials used from its dense microstructure and its
(UHPC) superstructure. The bridge is for the open-recipe UHPC mixture imperviousness to water and the ingress
a demonstration project constructed cost much less than proprietary UHPC of chloride ions. With an estimated
under the auspices of the National mixtures. Additionally, compared with service life of 200 years (based on freeze-
Cooperative Highway Research Program normalweight concrete, UHPC greatly thaw and chloride-penetration data from
(NCHRP) project “High Bond Steel Fibers reduces the weight of components, Alkaysi et al.3), the bridge will provide
for Ultra High-Performance Concrete and as a result, the foundation, great long-term savings. The bridge can
(UHPC)” 1 in conjunction with the St. transportation, and handling costs on also be considered a highly sustainable
Clair County Road Commission—the this project were substantially lowered. structure because the maintenance and
bridge owner and research partner.
The bridge was built to replace a
deteriorated reinforced concrete slab
bridge.

The entire superstructure was made of

open-recipe UHPC, with the new steel
fibers developed under the NCHRP
project. The term “open-recipe” UHPC
signifies that the UHPC mixture design
is nonproprietary and available for all to
use and experiment with.2

Although small, with a span of only

23.7 ft, this bridge represents a big step
forward in UHPC technology. To the
knowledge of the authors, it is the first
bridge in the United States to have its
entire deck panel made of open-recipe
UHPC mixed in a traditional ready-mixed Figure 1. Bridge cross section. All Photos and Figures: HiPer Fiber LLC/St. Clair County
concrete truck. Road Commission.

BRICKER ROAD BRIDGE OVER QUACKENBUSH DRAIN / ST. CLAIR COUNTY,

profile MICHIGAN
BRIDGE DESIGN ENGINEERS: Michael Clark, St. Clair County Road Commission, and Todd Stelma, TEG
Engineering, Wyoming, Mich.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: St. Clair County Road Commission, St. Clair, Mich.
CONCRETE SUPPLIER: St. Clair County Road Commission, St. Clair, Mich.
PRECASTER: ADL Systems, Portland, Mich.
OTHER MATERIAL SUPPLIERS: Abutments: Redi-Rock, Howell, Mich.

24 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

Figure 2. Three-ribbed deck panel details of the superstructure.

replacement cycles have been greatly issue of ASPIRE®). The UHPC compressive After casting, the panels were covered
extended. design strength was 21.7 ksi. Figure 2 with wet burlap and polyethylene plastic
shows the reinforcing bar arrangement. sheeting and left in their forms for 24
Bridge Details The no. 8 reinforcing bars were necessary hours. After removal from the forms,
The replacement bridge comprises six to ensure sufficient flexural strength. the ribbed panels were wet cured while
ribbed panels, each 6 ft wide for a total However, no stirrups were required for covered with burlap and polyethylene
width of 36 ft (Fig. 1). Each panel has a shear reinforcement because the shear plastic sheeting for an additional six days.
3-in.-thick deck with 10.5-in.-deep ribs computations showed adequate shear
(Fig. 2). New forms were purchased for strength compared with the demand. Table 1 shows the results of laboratory
this project, and they have been used The stirrups shown in Fig. 2 are widely testing of the field-cast 2-in. cubes
three times since for similar bridges. The spaced and were used to facilitate arranged by deck panel casting date.
panels were installed by county crews longitudinal bar placement. Samples were not collected from the first
using a backhoe; they were light enough mixture due to an omission. Compression
that a crane was unnecessary. After Bridge Construction testing was done by a third party.
the panels were installed, the closure Figure 3 shows the construction process. Table 1 also shows the progression of
pours were filled with UHPC that was The UHPC for each panel was mixed strength gain with time. Initial strength
mixed in a planetary (mortar) mixer on at the precaster’s facility in a typical gain was rapid, with the compressive
site, and an overlay was installed. As commercial ready-mixed concrete truck. strength reaching 15.1 ksi in three days.
compared to the traditional solid-slab Given the rather high temperatures The rate then slowed substantially, and
deck bridge that was being replaced, the observed during mixing, 40% of the the average strength across all UHPC
weight of the new structure is reduced water was replaced with ice to help cool mixtures eventually reached 23.9 ksi,
by approximately two-thirds. the mixture. Experience has shown that with the lowest strength being 23.4 ksi.
UHPC will start setting prematurely in The measured values are all above the
Analysis and Design temperatures above 80°F. The spread 21.7-ksi design strength.
The design of the bridge was conducted of the concrete was monitored and
according to the American Association tracked with the onboard flow meter in Tensile tests were also conducted. The
of State Highway and Transportation the truck. Previously mixed and placed results showed that the actual tensile
Officials’ AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design material was used as a guide as to when strengths were greater than the design
Specifications 4 as well as the draft the material was ready for placement. values. Testing also showed that the
specifications proposed by the Federal The flow meter on the truck had samples exceeded the strain-hardening
Highway Administration (FHWA) that will a reading of 1100 psi (the amount of capacity by a large margin. For example,
be included in the forthcoming Guide pressure needed to turn the mixer drum), the forthcoming AASHTO guide
Specifications for Structural Design with which equated to approximately 8.5-in. specification requires a minimum strain-
Ultra-High-Performance Concrete5 (see spread. Placement was not started until a hardening capacity of 0.0025, whereas
the AASHTO LRFD article in the Fall 2023 reading of 1100 psi was observed. the capacity was 0.0045 in the test.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION, ST. CLAIR, MICHIGAN, OWNER

BRIDGE DESCRIPTION: First U.S. bridge with a 100% ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) superstructure, 36-ft wide, 23.7-ft-span precast open-
recipe (nonproprietary) UHPC ribbed panels
STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS: Precast UHPC, 5-ft 11.5-in.-wide ribbed deck panels with three 10.5-in.-deep webs, 3-in.-thick deck, open recipe
cast-in-place UHPC closure pours between the panels
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION COST: $379,000
AWARD: First place, short-span bridge category, Third International Interactive Symposium on Ultra High Performance Concrete (3IISUHPC): “A Small
Bridge with Big Implications”

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 25

 Figure 3. Fabrication of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) ribbed panels.

26 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 Table 1. Progression of ultra-high-performance concrete compressive strength (2-in. cubes)
Strength, ksi

Pour date Curing time, days OPEN-RECIPE

ULTRA-HIGH-PERFORMANCE
3 4 5 7 10 11 14 28
CONCRETE
12-Jul 15.1 20.2 25.0 The open-recipe ultra-high-performance
concrete (UHPC) used on this project was
14-Jul 16.7 20.6 23.4 as follows:
15-Jul 17.6 20.7 23.5 Mixture proportions for a cubic yard
of UHPC:
18-Jul 19.1 20.2 24.1
Cement (portland Type I): 653 lb
19-Jul 18.9 22.4 23.7 Slag cement (GGBS 100): 653 lb
Silica fume (Elkem 965): 327 lb (if using
Average 15.1 17.6 16.7 20.4 19.8 19.1 21.3 23.9
Elkem 900W, reduce the HRWRA)
Project Cost acknowledged. The opinions stated in Water: 264 lb = 31.6 gallons
this article are those of the authors and High-range water-reducing admixture
As noted, this bridge project achieved
do not necessarily represent the position (HRWRA) (3% using Sika
substantial cost savings. The abutment
or opinions of the agencies mentioned ViscoCrete-2100): 39.2 lb (550 oz)
and foundation did not require piles,
herein. Steel fibers (2% by volume; Type X from
which helped lower construction
costs. The Michigan Department of HiPer Fiber): 265 lb
Transportation 2022 Scoping Estimate
References Fine sand (SHORT MOUNTAIN glass sand):
1. El-Tawil, S. 2022. High Bond Steel
Worksheet, which is based on recent 395 lb
Fibers for Ultra High-Performance
experience with similar bridge projects, Coarse sand (SHORT MOUNTAIN Silica
Concrete (UHPC). National
projected a cost of $560,000. The actual Sands 3070): 1580 lb
Cooperative Highway Research
cost for St. Clair County was $379,000. Defoaming agent (such as AIR OUT from
Program Innovations Deserving
This amount included road work, new Euclid or Sika PerFin-305): 4 lb
Exploratory Analysis (NCHRP
abutments, UHPC panels, county labor,
IDEA) Project 235. Washington, The mixing and testing protocols are
and equipment rental. The short-term
D C : Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n R e s e a r c h as follows:
savings were therefore $181,000
Board. https://onlinepubs.trb.org Dry mix for 10 minutes. Add water and
(32.3%).
/onlinepubs/IDEA/FinalReports HRWRA over 2 minutes. Wait for turnover
/Highway/NCHRP235.pdf.
Conclusion (fluidity), which usually occurs within
The bridge opened to the public 2. El-Tawil, S., Y-S. Tai, J. A. Belcher, 15 minutes. Mix another 10 minutes
in September 2022. Although the and D. Rogers. 2020. “Open-Recipe after turnover. Add fibers gradually over
materials for open-recipe UHPC cost Ultra-High-Performance Concrete 2 minutes. Mix for 10 minutes; then
more than regular concrete, this project (UHPC).”Concrete International 42 (6): perform a spread test before casting. You
demonstrated that there are important 33–38. need 7 to 12 in. of spread. Steam cure for
bridge construction applications where 48 hours. Perform compressive strength
3. Alkaysi, M., S. El-Tawil, Z. Liu, and tests according to ASTM C109 with 2-in.
lighter-weight UHPC can compete
W. Hansen. 2016. “Effects of cubes. The target strength is 21.5 ksi.
with traditional concrete in terms
Silica Powder and Cement Type on
of overall costs. Ultimately, the cost
Long Term Durability of Ultra High
savings associated with the reduction
Performance Concrete (UHPC).”
in maintenance and replacement costs
Cement and Concrete Composites
due to the extreme durability of UHPC
66: 47–56. https://doi.org/10.1016
make a compelling case for new bridge
/j.cemconcomp.2015.11.005. EDITOR’S NOTE
construction using this unique material.
For additional project information and 4. American Association of State
photos, as well as access to a recorded Highway and Transportation Officials In 2006, a 113-ft-long, 24.5-ft-wide
webinar on the project visit https://abc (AASHTO). 2020. AASHTO LRFD bridge was constructed in Wapello
-utc.fiu.edu/mc-events/first-u-s-bridge Bridge Design Specifications. 9th ed. County, Iowa, using ultra-high-
-with-100-uhpc-superstructure Washington, DC: AASHTO. performance concrete bulb-tee
-michigans-bricker-road-bridgeover girders. However, the cast-in-
5. A A S H T O . F o r t h c o m i n g . G u i d e
-quackenbush-drain/?mc_id=863. place deck was constructed using
Specifications for Structural Design
conventional concrete. See the
with Ultra-High-Performance Concrete.
Acknowledgment Washington, DC: AASHTO.
Summer 2006 issue of Ascent
This work was funded by the St. Clair ____________ magazine for an article on this
County Road Commission and the project (https://www.pci.org
National Academies of Sciences, Dr. Sherif El-Tawil is the CEO and /PCI_Docs/Publications/Ascent%
cofounder of HiPer Fiber LLC in Taylor,
Engineering, and Medicine through Mich. William Hazelton is the managing 20Magazine/2006/Summer/Iowa%
project NCHRP IDEA 235. The director of the St. Clair County Road 20Bridge%20Gives%20Glimpse%
funding and assistance are gratefully Commission in St. Clair, Mich. 20Into%20The%20Future.pdf).

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 27

 C O N C R E T E B R I D G E S T E WA R D S H I P

Bridge Component Deterioration

Models for Midwest States
Advancements in predictive modeling of bridge component deterioration
provides much-needed support for preserving concrete structures

by Philip Meinel, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Structures

Starting in 2014, the Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) and numerous
state departments of transportation
began focusing on data-driven
decision-making in transportation
asset management. A strategy for
systematically recommending the
right work on the right structures at
the right time had long been sought,
but many state agencies did not have
the tools to achieve this goal. When
the FHWA initiated the collection
of condition information for bridge
elements according to the American
Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO’s)
Manual for Bridge Element Inspection,1
state agencies started compiling detailed
information to support automated
bridge management systems (BMSs).
These automated BMSs are now able to
more accurately predict what work will
Transportation Pooled Fund research program TPF-5(432) participating states. All Figures
be needed on each structure network
and Tables: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Data source: TPF-5(432): Bridge
wide; however, accurate predictions can
Element Deterioration for Midwest States.5
only be built from a correct historical
database. that more-refined, component-level Midwest Partnership
deterioration models were needed. The AASHTO TSP 2 Midwest Bridge
The new requirements for AASHTO- Two years later, WisDOT attempted to Preservation Partnership 4 enabled
specified bridge elements rendered generate state-specific deterioration Midwest states to collectively discuss
historical databases obsolete and shifted models with the limited data available their bridge management needs. Reliable
the way that state agencies thought to develop age-based deterioration bridge component deterioration models
about component deterioration. Most projections using statistical averages and were identified as the top priority. The
data from before 2014 were not useful typical outlier analysis. This deterministic relationships developed within the
for estimating future deterioration of modeling allowed WisDOT’s BMS to multistate partnership facilitated a
the current AASHTO bridge elements. function, but more data were needed greater level of collaboration, with states
Every state faced this issue, but with to perform the industry-standard not only sharing resources and expertise
limited research, agencies were left probabilistic modeling that most BMS but also opening state databases for
to either manufacture theoretical software uses. Some of the early evaluation. In addition to the partnership,
deterioration models based on empirical deterministic models are highlighted in the Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF)
engineering judgments or rely on general the Wisconsin case study in National research program TPF-5(432): Bridge
component-level models to determine Cooperative Highway Research Project Element Deterioration for Midwest
when major work should be performed. Synthesis 585, Bridge Element Data States5 was instrumental in providing a
Collection and Use. 2 They are also funding mechanism for this collaborative
In 2016, the Wisconsin Department of referenced in the Transportation Research research to ultimately achieve high-
Transportation (WisDOT) developed its Board webinar “Bridge Element Data Use quality, data-driven decisions for
own BMS software and quickly realized in the U.S.”3 transportation structures.

28 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

TPF-5(432) began in December 2019 data to the bridge component ratings, (the lowest)—is the ability to compare
and the final report was published in which allowed some refinement of the data between the two datasets.
November 2022. 5 The study used models. Figure 1 shows projected deck Figure 3 compares deterioriation
Markov-Weibull probabilistic analysis to deterioration based on average GCRs models for reinforced concrete deck and
develop reliable deterioration models for for the type of reinforcement. With this slab components that use NBI average
National Bridge Inventory (NBI) general graph, state transportations validated that deck GCRs or AASHTO measures of
component ratings (GCRs), national epoxy-coated reinforcement preserves element deterioration, as shown by the
bridge elements, bridge-management bridge decks more effectively than Element Health Index. 5 The Element
elements, and agency-defined elements uncoated reinforcement. If departments Health Index gives a representation of
(ADE). The results from this TPF research of transportation solely program deck the condition states documented by an
could be immediately implemented in replacements based on NBI deck rating, element-level inspection. It is defined
each state’s BMS software to better they can quantify the benefit of using as the fraction in CS1 plus two-thirds of
predict what structure work will be epoxy-coated reinforcement as an the fraction in CS2, plus one-third of the
needed in the future throughout the approximate 20-year life extension. fraction in CS3.
Midwest highway network. The resulting States with more advanced BMS will
models are offered in spreadsheets that also consider element condition before Figure 3 shows that the difference in
can be customized to assign a more programming deck replacements. The the reinforced concrete slab and deck
appropriate deterioration curve for models can also be refined by specific component deterioration is more
a specific subset of structure types or structure type. Figure 2 shows how pronounced in the model using the
environments. the average NBI superstructure GCR Element Health Index than in the GCR
based on superstructure type predicts model due to the more detailed nature
General Component Rating deterioriation. This figure supports the of the Element Health dataset.
Models WisDOT preference to use concrete
NBI GCR deterioration models were the superstructures whenever practicable. In Wearing surfaces are a key part to any
first to be developed because they gauge Wisconsin, prestressed concrete open- bridge preservation strategy. In 2014,
the overall condition of the structure. web girders (such as I-girders) are used WisDOT established ADEs for each
The TPF study linked structure inventory on about 45% of state-owned structures type of wearing surface. Many states
and concrete slab spans are used on use this data collection method, as they
Average deck general condition rating another 16%. recognize that each type of wearing
9
surface has a unique deterioration
Deck - Epoxy Coated Rebar
8 The focus of the TPF study quickly curve. When the Midwest data did not
Deck - Uncoated Rebar
shifted to bridge elements, especially have an ADE assigned to each wearing
Deck component rating

7
reinforced concrete decks and slabs. The surface type, the wearing surface was
6 AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element determined by translating the NBI item
5 Inspection 1 defines deck elements as 108 code for deck surface.
transmitting loads into superstructure
4
elements and slab elements as Figure 4 compares deterioriation
3 transmitting load into the substructure of wearing surface types within the
elements. An advantage of having two Midwest. It is important to note that
2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 condition evaluation systems—(a) GCR every deck was assigned a wearing
Age, years based on the NBI component data and surface type—the “bare deck/sealed
(b) element condition states (CS) based concrete” wearing surface represents the
Figure 1. Model of deck deterioration as
on element-level bridge inspections and top surface of the original deck or slab
indicated by average general component
ranging from CS1 (the highest) to CS4 component. Figure 5, which is from
ratings.

Average superstructure general condition rating

Average deck general condition rating Element Health Index
9 9 100
Prestressed Girder
Superstructure component rating

RC Slab 90
8 8
RC Slab 80
Element Health Index
Deck component rating

7 Steel Girder 7 RC Deck 70

6 60
6
50
5 5 RC Slab
40
4 4 30 RC Deck
20
3 3
10
2 2 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Age, years Age, years Health Index, years
Figure 2. Model of superstructure Figure 3. Comparison of reinfoced concrete (RC) deck and slab deterioration models
deterioriation as indicated by average using average general component ratings (left) and Element Health Index data (right).
general component ratings.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 29

 Element Health Index
100
Bare Deck/Sealed Concrete
90 Concrete Overlay

80 Thin Polymer Overlay

Asphalt Overlay (with Membrane)
70
Asphalt Overlay (No Membrane)
Element Health Index

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Age, years

Figure 4. Wearing surface deterioration as indicated by Element Figure 5. Wearing surface extent as defined by the Wisconsin
Health Index data. Department of Transportation.

the WisDOT Structure Inspection Field for component modeling, which can be condition state to transition into the
Manual,6 shows how Wisconsin defines repeated for any component of interest. next condition state). Table 1 compares
the extent of the wearing surface. By The study did not evaluate prestressed the median transition time from CS1 to
tracking the condition of the original concrete open-web girders, but WisDOT CS2 for reinforced concrete substructure
integral wearing surface separately from later created a component deterioration elements. There is a noticeable
the underlying deck or slab component, model from the shared Midwest data. difference between the findings for the
WisDOT is better able to predict when The reason that this component was columns, where the quantity used when
the first overlay should be applied and not included in the original study is the collecting condition data is “each,”
which overlay type is most appropriate. historically slow rate of deterioration (that is, per column), and findings for
The distinction between the top and overall and the significant correlation of the other substructure elements, where
bottom of the deck is also essential for advanced girder-end deterioration related condition data are collected per linear
determining when to perform an overlay to leaking joints above. The TPF-5(432) foot. There appears to be a consistent
and when to replace the entire deck. study focused more on deck and joint trend in which initial deterioration
deterioration modeling to avoid exposure seems steeper when condition data are
Models Used to Develop of the girder ends. Expansion joints collected with less detail. The elements
Preservation Strategies were shown to deteriorate rapidly in the (columns) collected with less detail
By comparing the deterioration models Midwest, a finding that supports the (using “each” instead of linear feet)
for various bridge components and preservation strategy of eliminating joints transition more quickly to CS2 because
quantifying the benefits of reinforcement whenever possible. any defect within the entire element
types and overlay options, state height will classify the full element in
transportation agencies can build an The TPF-5(432) study did evaluate CS2. State transportation agencies
ideal preservation life cycle for each common reinforced concrete should strive to collect condition data
type of structure in their inventory. For substructure components (columns, pier in more detail (despite the minimum
example, combining the benefit of caps, pier walls, and abutments). The national standards) to produce improved
epoxy-coated reinforcing bars within a method of data collection significanlty deterioration models.
reinforced concrete deck and applying affected the analysis of component
regular deck sealing or a thin polymer deterioration. Markov deterioration There was interest among the Midwest
overlay early in the life cycle of the models rely heavily on the median states to quantify the increased
structure significantly extends the transition times (that is, the time it deterioration rate of components in
service life of the deck in a cost-effective takes for half of the quantity in a harsh conditions as a part of the TPF-
manner. Bridge component deterioration
models using in-service condition data
Table 1. Median transition times from condition state 1 (CS1) to condition state 2 (CS2) for
and research projects to evaluate new
reinforced concrete substructure elements
materials and applications have helped
WisDOT shape a robust preservation Median transition time
Reinforced concrete substructure elements Population
strategy, which is laid out in the WisDOT from CS1 to CS2, years
Bridge Manual.7 Abutments, ft 33,799 40.9
Pier walls, ft 8172 50.3
Although the TPF-5(432) study did not
Pier caps, ft 25,320 69.4
produce deterioration models for every
component, it did establish the basis Columns, each 19,334 23.8

30 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

Table 2. Median transition times for reinforced concrete pier caps based on Average Daily Traffic (ADT) under the structure

Number of inspections Median transition times between condition states (CS), years
ADT under the structure
with pier cap elements CS1 to CS2 CS2 to CS3 CS3 to CS4
ADT = 0 16,939 92.8 15.7 72.3
0 < ADT < 1000 1032 86.3 9.1 71.9
1000 ≤ ADT < 10,000 2225 67.4 10.4 89.4
1000 ≥ 10,000 5125 37.1 7.8 52.4
All 25,320 69.4 12.4 68.0

5(432) study. A significant correlation component and the condition at the U.S.” Recorded March 29, 2023.
was found between traffic volume bottom of the deck component. That https://vimeo.com/813260024
(represented by Average Daily Traffic) information is the difference between /638bebd76f.
passing under the structure and the an overlay recommendation and a
4. A A S H T O Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
rate of deterioration. Table 2 shows this deck replacement recommendation.
System Preservation Technical
correlation for reinforced concrete pier More information about Wisconsin’s
Services Program. n.d.
caps. When deterioration models are use of bridge deck NDE can be found
“Midwest Bridge Preservation
adapted to specific environments, both in the WisDOT Structure Inspection
Partnership.” Accessed October
short-term project scoping and long-term Manual8 and the FHWA NDE webinar
12, 2023. https://tsp2bridge.
funding scenarios are improved. “Systematic Thermography of Bridge
pavementpreservation.org
Decks in Wisconsin.”9
/midwest-mwbpp.
Refining the Asset
Management Process The Midwest states intend to continue 5. Wisconsin Department of
The asset management process is to collaborate, merge inspection Transportation (WisDOT). 2022.
iterative: refine data collection, refine m e t h o d s , a n d s t a n d a rd i z e d a t a TPF-5(432): Bridge Element
predictive modeling, and repeat. management practices to create a Deterioration for Midwest States.
Throughout this process, data collection more consistent and reliable database Madison, WI: WisDOT. https://
always serves the end goal of predictive for future bridge component modeling www.pooledfund.org/Document
modeling. When data collection efforts. Specific areas of improvement as /Download?id=14072.
processes are less robust—possibly due recommended in the TPF-5(432) report
6. W i s D O T. 2 0 2 0 . S t r u c t u r e
to anticipated workload or limited ability include the following:
Inspection Field Manual. Madison,
to accurately record detailed condition • More uniform use of component
WI: WisDOT. https://wisconsindot
data—the predictive modeling is also less defects
.gov/dtsdManuals/strct/inspection
robust. Increased data refinement leads • M o re uni form us e of A D Es ,
/insp-fm-2020.pdf.
to increased bridge preservation activities including wearing surface ADEs
because the refined data helps agencies • Improvement in the quality and 7. WisDOT. 2023. WisDOT Bridge
identify treatments earlier in the life cycle consistency of construction activity Manual. Madison, WI: WisDOT
and focus on the specific defects to be data (repair and improvement https://wisconsindot.gov
corrected to maintain the structure in history) /dtsdManuals/strct/manuals/bridge
good condition. To the extent that Midwest states can /ch-all.pdf.
accomplish these recommendations,
8. W i s D O T. 2 0 1 7 . S t r u c t u r e
To promote more advanced data dividends will be seen both in refining
Inspection Manual. Madison, WI:
collection practices to support predictive modeling, and in refining asset
WisDOT. https://wisconsindot.gov
the desired BMS performance, management decisions throughout the
/dtsdManuals/strct/inspection/insp
the TPF-5(432) study summarized region.
-sm.pdf.
nondestructive evaluation (NDE) usage
among the states, specifically NDE References 9. Federal Highway Administration.
used on reinforced concrete decks 1. American Association of State 2023. “Systematic Thermography
and slabs. WisDOT has one of the H i g h w a y a n d Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n of Bridge Decks in Wisconsin”
few network-wide NDE programs for Officials (AASHTO). 2019. Manual (webinar). https://usdot.zoomgov.
assessing wearing surface condition. for Bridge Element Inspection. 2nd com/rec/share/9DWnww1OEZVJcIQ-
These NDE data reveal wearing surface ed. Washington, DC: AASHTO. M e h 9 n X X g K v A 4 d p O 8 s 0 P J Yq
defects that are hidden and help _lgeqRNOqvg3L8SywGq0v20zCt
2. Bektas, B. 2022. Bridge Element
WisDOT’s automated BMS determine .fY_U3lo-jtZeGfXg?startTi
Data Collection and Use. National
the best timing for an overlay, which me=1679936630000 (passcode:
Cooperative Highway Research
is essential for an effective bridge &t*P3&SA).
Project Synthesis 585. Washington,
preservation strategy. It is critical that ____________
DC: National Academies Press.
the NDE data are recorded under
https://doi.org/10.17226/26724. Philip Meinel is a structures asset
a wearing surface ADE, so that BMS management engineer for the Wisconsin
software can distinguish between 3. TRB. 2023. “TRB Webinar: Department of Transportation Bureau of
the condition at the top of the deck Bridge Element Data Use in the Structures in Madison, Wisc.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 31

 NCBC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute

Reflects on a Century of Impact
as the Institute Turns 100

by Dr. Ulrich Frisse, Historical Branding Solutions Inc., and Dave Mounce, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute

Today, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh,
Institute (CRSI) is the trusted industry Pa. Their intent was to establish a
resource and standards, development trade association for their industry.
organization for steel reinforcement, The purpose of the new organization
specifically reinforcing bar, in concrete was to promote and actively support
construction. Since its inception, the use of steel-reinforced concrete in
CRSI has continually built on member construction, and to address immediate
involvement and partnerships to challenges faced by the industry.
help shape the construction industry.
Through its own technical committees A g a i n s t t h e p o s t – Wo r l d Wa r I
and staff collaboration, CRSI has made backdrop, the newly formed CRSI went
significant contributions that have immediately to work. Industrialization
created an enviable legacy. was in full swing, and among the first
tasks was developing uniform contracts
Ultimately, it has been the perseverance for fabricator members to gain legal
of CRSI’s membership that has allowed authority to ensure they were paid by
the institute to traverse both political their customers. Additional initial goals
and economic difficulties over the last were to standardize the number of
century. CRSI was founded in the fall of grades and sizes of the steel reinforcing
1924, when 33 owners and executives b a r s t h a t w e re b e i n g p ro d u c e d
of 25 companies involved in the in the United States and to create a
manufacture and distribution of new publication addressing standards and
billet-steel reinforcing bars gathered at specifications of reinforcing bars.

During the institute’s infancy, it

produced numerous written works that
would become major contributions
to the reinforced concrete industry.
CRSI collaborated with the American
Concrete Institute (ACI) to develop the
Tentative Building Regulations for the
Use of Reinforced Concrete 1 in 1928,
which was the precursor for ACI’s
Building Regulations for Reinforced
Concrete (ACI 318-41).2

Several years later, a new membership

structure that included steel producers
(mills) bolstered CRSI as it weathered
the Great Depression and World War
II. Although government intervention
and war-time restrictions affected the Covers of the precursor (1937) to and
work of the membership, it was during the current edition (2023) of the Manual
The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute’s this time that the institute produced of Standard Practice.4 Since 1937, this
first industry standard document, the precursors and first editions of manual has presented recommendations
published in 1927. All Photos: Concrete publications that would become for the design and detailing of steel
Reinforcing Steel Institute. industry staples. Reinforced Concrete: reinforcing bars.

32 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 the necessary documents for its
members to comply with sustainability
requirements. It also fostered the
research and adoption of high-strength
(80 and 100 ksi) reinforcing steel in
partnership with the CRSI Foundation, References
Pankow Foundation, and ACI 1. American Concrete Institute (ACI).
Foundation. Workforce development 1928. Tentative Building Regulations
and outreach to universities and for the Use of Reinforced Concrete.
construction school programs also Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
continue to be key issues within CRSI
2. ACI. 1941. Building Regulations for
and the CRSI Foundation.
Reinforced Concrete (ACI 318-41).
Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
CRSI’s most recent flagship publication,
Design Guide on the ACI 318 Building 3. Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute
Code Requirements for Structural (CRSI). 1927. Reinforced Concrete: A
Concrete, 9 was released during the Handbook on Reinforced Concrete
COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the Construction Containing Information
guide was published, CRSI created of Value to the Architect and
a series of companion “Design Engineer. Chicago, IL: CRSI.
The definitive source for information on
Checklists” 10 to provide additional
development and splicing of reinforcing 4. CRSI. 2023. Manual of Standard
time-saving information to designers.
bars, Reinforcing Bars: Anchorages and Practice. 30th ed. Schaumburg, IL:
C u r re n t l y, C R S I i s d e v e l o p i n g a
Splices has been revised several times CRSI.
comprehensive design guide addressing
since the first edition in 1968.
state-of-the-art seismic design 5. CRSI. 2008. CRSI Design Handbook.
A Handbook on Reinforced Concrete requirements for an early 2025 release. 10th ed. Schaumburg, IL: CRSI.
Construction Containing Information of
6. CRSI. 1959. CRSI Recommended
Value to the Architect and Engineer3 With the commemoration of the first
Practice for Placing Reinforcing Bars.
(predecessor of the current Manual 100 years quickly approaching, CRSI
Chicago, IL: CRSI.
of Standard Practice 4 ), CRSI Design shows no signs of slowing down. It
Handbook5 (now produced as a series continues to author and influence 7. CRSI. 2019. Placing Reinforcing Bars.
of design guides), CRSI Recommended the standards, codes, and rules 10th ed. Schaumburg, IL: CRSI.
Practice for Placing Reinforcing Bars 6 according to which the construction
8. CRSI. 2015. Reinforcing Bar Detailing.
(later to become simply Placing industry ultimately operates. It also
5th ed. Schaumburg, IL: CRSI.
Reinforcing Bars7), and the Reinforcing remains steadfast in demonstrating
Bar Detailing manual8 were published its commitment to the thousands of 9. CRSI. 2020. Design Guide on the
throughout this period, providing professionals who use reinforced ACI 318 Building Code Requirements
industry education and guidance. concrete construction in their careers for Structural Concrete.
through education, information, and Schaumburg, IL: CRSI.
As the industry matured, CRSI evolved promotion.
10. CRSI. 2021. Design Checklist Suite
with the changing needs of its
(318-19). Schaumburg, IL: CRSI.
members, technological advancements, The anniversary celebration begins at
demographic changes, and the the World of Concrete in 2024, which ____________
advent of new products and related is coincidentally observing its 50th
Dr. Ulrich Frisse is the president and
processes. Taller buildings, new highway anniversary. CRSI will showcase a new
creative director for Historical Branding
infrastructure, the developing building centennial-branded booth with special
Solutions Inc. in Kitchener, ON. Dave
code, and corrosion resistance were all giveaway items and commemorative
Mounce is the senior director of
topics of focus and research. items for purchase. Twice next year,
communications and outreach for the
CRSI membership will gather nationally
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute in
Leading up to and entering the and revelries will also continue at
Schaumburg, Ill.
new millennium, CRSI expanded its regional and chapter events.
membership, technical committees,
standards and codes representation, The institute will come full circle when EDITOR’S NOTE
and research obligations. New services it holds its Fall Business and Technical
included the development of industry- Meeting at the same location as its The Concrete Reinforcing Steel
specific software, plant certification first national meeting in 1925, the Institute (CRSI) is a member of the
programs, and various initiatives to Drake Hotel in Chicago, Ill. The event National Concrete Bridge Council.
help members conform to a growing will be the culmination of a yearlong Visit their website at www.crsi.org
number of regulatory frameworks, from celebration that will allow CRSI to learn more about
health and safety to environmental members and staff to reflect on the CRSI’s mission and
protection. The institute embraced longevity, milestones, and future of a access valuable
government advocacy and developed trade association turning 100. resources.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 33

 CONCRETE BRIDGE TECHNOLOGY

Fatigue Design for Concrete

Bridge Structures
by Dr. Francesco Russo, Russo Structural Services

In a three-part series published in the concrete segmental box girders, live load than the Service III loads.
Summer 2011, Fall 2011, and Winter are not covered by this exemption. The range of stress produced in the
2012 issues of ASPIRE ®, Dr. Dennis Explanation: Stresses in reinforced reinforcement is simply the range of
Mertz provided an overview of the concrete decks and box culverts have concrete stress times the modular
fatigue limit states specified in the fifth been measured and consistently found ratio and is less than the fatigue
edition of the American Association of to be low. They are far below the resistance of prestressing steel.
State Highway and Transpor tation threshold limits and are considered to This holds true only if sections are
Officials’ AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design have infinite fatigue life. designed to be uncracked at service
Specifications 1 and explored their loads; that is, the components meet
applicability to concrete structures. Since (2) W h er e a r e in fo rc e d c o n c r e t e the Service III requirements. The
that series, there have been changes in section is in compression under assumption of an uncracked section
load factors for fatigue and other changes unfactored permanent loads and does not imply that a prestressed
in resistance and approach, which are prestress, fatigue must only be concrete section will never crack. In
summarized in this article. considered if the tensile stress in the fact, under certain heavy loads, it
reinforcement under the Fatigue I is likely that small flexural tension
It may seem odd that fatigue is being load combination is greater than this cracks will form but that after the
discussed here—isn’t that only a problem permanent compression. passage of the load, those cracks
for steel structures? Although more Explanation: Fatigue can only occur will close. However, subsequent
attention is paid to fatigue for steel if steel is in a state of net tension. In heavy loads that produce any tension
structures, concrete structures are not regions where the permanent loads will cause the cracks to reopen.
exempt. A review of Section 5 of the ninth produce compression and live-load Prevention of strand fatigue is a
edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge stresses are not sufficient to cause net beneficial by-product of the LRFD
Design Specifications2 finds various fatigue tension, fatigue of steel reinforcement requirements to design sections to
requirements for concrete structures. cannot occur. The live-load stress be uncracked under routine service
is taken as that produced by the loads. This helps ensure that a section
Specification Requirements Fatigue I load combination. This is sufficiently compressed so that
I n A r t i c l e 5 . 5 . 1 . 1 , L imi t - S t a t e load combination is representative only a limited number of stresses in
Applicability, the AASHTO LRFD of the stress ranges, and therefore exceedance of the tensile stress limits
specifications s tates, “Struc tural peak tensile live-load stresses, from may occur, and that fatigue failure of
components shall be proportioned to an infrequent maximum vehicle high-strength strands does not occur.
satisfy the requirements of the service, loading. If this infrequent loading can
fatigue, strength, and extreme event limit cause net tension, fatigue must be (4) Whenever a concrete component is
states at all stages during the life of the considered, and the full stress range evaluated for fatigue, the Fatigue I
structure.” Article 5.6.1 reiterates certain from the Fatigue I load combination factored stress range, γΔf , must be
important assumptions for concrete must be used for design. less than or equal to the constant-
behavior at the service and fatigue limit a m p li t u d e f a t igu e t h r e s h o ld ,
states. Article 5.9.1 specifically lists the (3) Prestressed concrete components (ΔF)TH, which is dependent on the type
fatigue limit state as one of the required designed to meet the Service III and configuration of reinforcement
limit states that shall be satisfied for limit state tension stress limits do materials, and other properties:
prestressed concrete component design. not need to be checked for fatigue.
γ(Δf) ≤ (ΔF)TN LRFD Eq. (5.5.3.1-1)
Explanation: Fatigue is checked for
Article 5.5.3, Fatigue Limit State, defines a single lane loaded with a modified Explanation: As mentioned previously,
the fatigue requirements as summarized live-load distribution factor removing concrete is checked at the Fatigue I
and explained in the following: the inherent 1.2 multiple presence limit state. This is a check of maximum
factor in the LRFD empirical stress range, and these stresses are
(1) Concrete decks in multigirder equations, impact of 15% (LRFD compared with the constant-amplitude
bridges are exempt, as are concrete Table 3.6.2.1-1), and a different rear- fatigue threshold—the range of stress
box culverts. Note that slabs in axle spacing for the design vehicle. at which a steel element is expected to
other structure types, such as This results in considerably less have infinite life.

34 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 The Second Edition of
(5) For prestressed concrete bridges Article 5.5.3.3 provides fatigue limits for
other than segmentally constructed prestressing steel, Article 5.5.3.4 includes
bridges, the compressive stress in limits on welded and mechanical splices of
concrete due to the Fatigue I load reinforcement, Article 5.6.1 states various
combination and one-half the important assumptions that may be used
sum of effective prestress (after for service and fatigue limit state checks,
losses) and permanent loads shall and Article 5.9.1.4 reinforces the need to
not exceed 0.40 f c , where f c is check fatigue in sections where cracking is
the design concrete compressive permitted under service loads.
strength.
Explanation: This check limits the Summary of Fatigue Design
magnitude of cyclic compressive for Concrete Bridges
stress in the concrete to ensure The following summarizes the AASHTO
integrity of the sec tion under LRFD specifications’ considerations for
repeated compression cycles. fatigue design:
• Prestressed concrete components
(6) Stresses shall be computed on a designed to meet the Service III limit
cracked section basis when the state requirements do not require a
sum of unfactored permanent load fatigue check.
stresses, stresses from effective • Concrete decks in multigirder bridges
prestress, and the tension from the and concrete box culverts do not
Fatigue I load combination, is tensile require a fatigue check.
and exceeds 0.095 f c . • Slabs in concrete segmental box
Explanation: When the computed girders must be checked for fatigue. This free eBook, Calculation of Interaction
tensile stresses on an uncracked • Reinforced concrete s truc tures, Diagrams for Precast, Prestressed Concrete
section exceed the limit shown, the such as slab bridges that span Piles, provides context and instructions for
section is assumed to crack. Stresses longitudinally, pier caps, and footings,
the use of the 2015 revised version of the
are then computed based on an elastic need to be checked for fatigue.
cracked section. Reinforced concrete These structures commonly have low Microsoft Excel workbook to compute pile
components like slab bridges or pier stress ranges, but there is no blanket stresses, plot interaction diagrams, and
caps are examples in this category. exemption because these components compute lifting points of precast concrete
are likely to be cracked in service. piles.
For the constant-amplitude fatigue • For all concrete components subjected
resistance of reinforcing bars and to fatigue, the check is performed
There is no cost for downloading Calculation
welded-wire reinforcement, Ar ticle at the Fatigue I limit state and the
5.5.3.2 includes updated resistance resistance values are provided in of Interaction Diagrams for Precast,
values that supersede those found in Section 5 of the AASHTO LRFD Prestressed Concrete Piles or the 2015
part 2 (Fall 2011 issue of ASPIRE ) specifications. workbook. However, registration is required
of Mertz’s article series. These updated so that users can be contacted when updates
resistance provisions are the result of References or revisions to the workbook are necessary.
recommendations from the Transportation 1. American Association of State
Research Board’s second Strategic Highway and Transportation Officials
Highway Research Program Report, (AASHTO). 2010. AASHTO LRFD The Appendix of Calculation of Interaction
Bridges for Service Life Beyond 100 Bridge Design Specifications. 5th ed. Diagrams for Precast, Prestressed Concrete
Years: Service Limit State Design.3 The Washington, DC: AASHTO. Piles contains detailed instructions and
adjustment of the fatigue resistance
2. AASHTO. 2020. AASHTO LRFD solved example problems using the 2015
was to achieve levels of reliability for workbook. Examples are also solved using
Bridge Design Specifications. 9th ed.
reinforced concrete structures that
Washington, DC: AASHTO. Mathcad to validate the workbook solution,
are consistent with the reliability of
fatigue calculations for steel structures. 3. Transpor tation Research Board. and a table of results compares the two
The resistance equation was updated 2015. Bridges for Service Life methods.
for reinforcing bar s and weld ed- Beyond 100 Years: Service Limit
wire reinforcement to achieve this State Design . Strategic Highway Download the free publication Calculation of
consistent reliability across a family of R e s e a rc h P ro gra m 2 R e p o r t Interaction Diagrams for Precast, Prestressed
materials. It was determined that the S2-R19B-RW-1. Washington, DC:
Concrete Piles to your computer from www.
equations referenced in Mertz’s 2011– National Academies Press. https://
2012 ASPIRE articles were overly doi.org/10.17226/22441. pci.org/Bookstore
conservative, and a more favorable _____________
resistance has been included in the Dr. Francesco Russo is the founder of and
AASHTO LRFD specifications since the principal at Russo Structural Services in
eighth edition. Havertown, Pa.

8770 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. | Suite 1150 | Chicago, IL 60631-3517 | 312-786-0300 | www.pci.org
C R E AT I V E C O N C R E T E C O N S T R U C T I O N

A State-of-the-Art Prestressed Concrete Facility

Designed with Sustainability in Mind

by Rob Holland and Blake Johnson, Knife River Prestress

K nife River Prestress recently constructed a new prestressed concrete

plant near Spokane, Wash., to replace its 65-year-old outdoor
facility. The state-of the-art facility opened in August 2023, incorporating
floor space is also available for casting one-off items such as wingwalls,
footings, or other precast concrete components. The girder beds are rated for
7 million lb of pretensioning capacity, and overhead bridge cranes are sized
lean manufacturing, automation, and a focus on sustainability. All to handle products weighing up to 300,000 lb. Girder heights up to 12 ft tall
57,000 yd3 of aggregates used in the construction of the facility were can be accommodated with the crane-mounted pour buckets. Extra space is
sourced on site, cutting down on the need to transport materials. available at the end of each bay for finishing activities, which could include
With 45 total acres, including 4 acres under roof, the facility has secondary pours for end diaphragms and curbs on girders. This space is still
room to expand its operations as the demand for prefabricated concrete under roof, with access to overhead bridge cranes and supplementary heat
structures continues to grow. The site’s concrete batch plant uses dual for efficient curing year-round. The beds are designed for quick changeovers
mixers to produce up to 100 yd3 per hour. Once batched, an automated to different bridge products, from slabs to I-girders and deck bulb tees. The
concrete-delivery system mounted on electric rail delivers the concrete two beds are expected to help service the region for the next 65 years.
to remote-controlled pour buckets in each of the facility’s three Each girder bed foundation is up to 7 ft deep and composed of more
production bays. This process reduces waste, improves casting quality, and than 1200 yd3 of 8000-psi concrete, multiple drilled shafts, and post-
significantly lowers the production team’s exposure to risk. tensioning at the end segments. With this foundation, the girder beds
Sustainability was a key consideration in the plant's design. The can accommodate up to one hundred sixty 0.6-in.-diameter strands,
use of diesel engines is reduced by using electric-powered overhead including up to 10 top strands. All strands are gang pulled, and girders
cranes, forklifts, and the concrete-delivery system. The closed-loop with harped strands can also be fabricated. Also, 300-ksi strands and
hydronic heating system, as compared to a “once-through” steam system, 0.7-in.-diameter strands can be accommodated.
maximizes efficiency for concrete curing by reducing the amount of The plant embodies Knife River’s core values of safety, quality,
reheat required. The recycled process-water system reduces fresh water environmental stewardship, and investment in people. The production
use by half compared with the consumption if recycling were not used. of prestressed concrete components has traditionally involved large
The roof is solar-panel ready, and panels may be added in the future. quantities of outdoor labor. This facility brings many processes indoors
Lean manufacturing principles such as process mapping, visual operating and uses automation to reduce hazards. An open-office floor plan and
procedures, kitting parts, and internal audits are incorporated throughout shared spaces foster communication among frontline workers and
the facility to minimize waste—both material and time. leadership, part of the “people-first” culture.
The plant is pursuing certification from the Concrete Sustainability Knife River believes prestressed concrete enables sustainable
Council, which would make it the first CSC-certified prestressed concrete construction, and this plant allows them to “walk the talk,” by promoting
facility in North America. sustainable construction, reducing waste, and decreasing transportation
The plant contains twin casting beds for casting girders up to 250 ft in costs. The operation has capacity to supply major projects throughout the
length or multiple shorter girders in line. It also has additional assets to Northwest while leading the industry in technology, working conditions,
produce up to 10,000 ft2 of panels and 3600 ft2 of hollow-core per day. Extra and environmental responsibility.
An automated concrete-delivery system mounted on electric rail
delivers concrete to remote-controlled pour buckets in each of
the facility’s three production bays.

This new facility incorporates state-of-the-art technology and will allow

Knife River to continue providing high-quality solutions for decades to
come. It stands as a model for how to build both a facility and a culture
focused on people, community, and the environment.
__________
Rob Holland is process manager and Blake Johnson is commercial Girders up to 250 ft in length, including girders with harped
director for Knife River Prestress in Newman Lake, Wash. strands, can be fabricated at the new facility.

Segmental Brings Inspiration to Life.

Systems are available to deliver form and function to maximize efficiency in a timely and economic fashion.

Upcoming Events Publications 1

A me ri c a n S e g m e n ta l B ri d ge I n s t it u t e

April 1, 2024 Durability Survey,

2024 Grouting Training 5th Edition
The next training event will be held April 1 at the The newest edition of the DURABILITY SURVEY
of Segmental Concrete Bridges

Durability Survey is now

Fifth Edition, 2022

J.J. Pickle Research Center in Austin, Texas. Please

check the website for details and registration.. available for download. The
survey reports on durability
Promoting Segmental October 20-23, 2024 of segmental concrete
bridges based on National
Bridge Construction 36th Annual Convention Bridge Inventory database.
in the United States, Please Check the ASBI Website Events Page
Canada and Mexico for Details of 2024 Event.
ASBI Segmental
ASBI Monthly Webinars Bridge Database
Monthly Webinars will resume in February of 2024! Now available with links
for the database, an Excel
Registration is free and PDH certificates will be spreadsheet of segmental
issued for all attendees of the live sessions. All structures, and to report
webinars are planned for the last Wednesday of missing or incorrect ASBI Publications
each month from 1:00-2:00 ET. Access to past bridges in the database.
webinars and registration for future webinars
can be found on the ASBI events page.

Follow us on 9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 516, Austin, Texas 78748 n Tel: 512.523.8214 n e-mail: [email protected]
For information on the benefits of segmental bridge construction and ASBI membership visit: www.asbi-assoc.org

ASPIRE Winter 2024| 37

 SAFETY AND SERVICEABILITY

Raising the Reinforcing Bar:

Introducing Textured Epoxy Coating
Textured epoxy coating has the potential to significantly improve
bridge life spans
by Dr. Jeffrey David Rogozinski and Anthony Del Percio, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine

A new approach to coating steel

reinforcing bar has the potential to
change a core aspect of concrete bridge
In corrosion resistance, bond strength,
and damage tolerance, TEC offers
significant improvements over both
Globally, most reinforcing bars remain
uncoated, owing to the expense and
various drawbacks associated with ECR
construction. Known as textured epoxy ECR and uncoated reinforcing bar (these drawbacks are discussed later).
coating (TEC), this novel technology (black bar). 2‒6 While various factors Applied to a green bar, TEC adds an
is the subject of a newly approved influence a bridge’s life span, TEC extra layer of protection to ECR and
specification: ASTM A1124, Standard has the potential to extend asset life, increases an asset’s durability. Recent
Specification for Textured Epoxy-Coated making a strong case for its cost- research shows that TEC presents an
Steel Reinforcing Bars. 1 The standard effective use to benefit taxpayer-funded opportunity to harness the benefits of
covers surface preparation, material infrastructure projects. Preventing coating reinforcing bar, while enhancing
application, coating thickness, and structural deterioration can delay the outcomes for concrete projects.2‒6
testing, among other requirements. As a need for bridge replacement or extend
secondary coating, TEC provides added required maintenance cycles, often Improving Corrosion
protection for epoxy-coated reinforcing resulting in substantial cost savings and Resistance
bar (ECR), commonly referred to as avoiding the environmental impacts The interface of reinforcing bar to
“green bar,” which is the industry’s of construction and maintenance concrete is critical. While ECR offers
leading corrosion-protection solution. projects. TEC also offers sustainability a layer of corrosion protection for the
advantages because it is made with uncoated bar, its smooth surface reduces
The application of TEC to reinforcing repurposed, “upcycled” materials that the bond interaction between the
steel bars is a two-step, but nearly might otherwise go to a landfill. In concrete and the steel reinforcement.
simultaneous, process in which bars addition, TEC may enable the use of
pass through two powdered-coating alternative cementitious technologies, When a TEC is applied along with
application steps in a row. Uncoated as concrete ingredients to date have an epoxy coating, there are multiple
bars are first blasted to remove surface typically been limited to those that do benefits. The two layers cure together
contamination. Then the bars are not corrode uncoated reinforcement. and covalently bond, creating a
heated before passing through the
Textured epoxy-coated reinforcing bar (left) and uncoated reinforcing bar (right) have comparable
ECR application booth. There, a
rib texture and bond strength. All Photos: The Sherwin-Williams Company.
p owd e re d f u s i o n - b o n d e d e p ox y
coating is sprayed onto the heated bar
and immediately melts into a liquid
coating that flows over every surface.
The heated bar then moves through the
TEC application booth, where a high-
performance, textured fusion-bonded
epoxy coating is sprayed over the first
coating layer. As this textured powder
melts and flows over the bar surface, it
covalently bonds with the ECR layer,
creating a monolithic coating despite
the application taking place in two
steps. The thickness and roughness of
the applied coating material will vary
depending on the parameters of the
reinforcing bar usage as defined in the
ASTM A1124 specification.1

38 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 This closeup view of a reinforcing steel bar cross section shows how the
textured epoxy coating (TEC) and the epoxy-coated reinforcement (ECR)
Textured epoxy coating applied to reinforcing bar adds an extra layer covalently bond to form a monolithic coating from the substrate to the air
of protection and durability to assets by improving bond strength, interface with a stratification of properties. The base ECR layer provides
corrosion resistance, and damage tolerance. corrosion protection to the steel substrate, while the top TEC layer delivers
damage resistance and enhanced concrete-bonding characteristics.

monolithic coating from the substrate through proprietary resin technology. by 10% and 60%, compared with
to the air interface. The results are This re-creates deformations on the black bar and ECR, respectively. In a
an enhanced barrier and durability reinforcing bar surface, establishing a related study at Clemson University,4
properties that further improve more pronounced anchor profile on the researchers compared flexural cracking
the corrosion resistance and damage reinforcing bar. (vertical cracks formed from tension
tolerance of the reinforcement. The and bending). Concrete with ECR
resulting texture also reestablishes the Research on Bond Strength resulted in fewer but larger cracks when
desired bond interaction between the Sherwin-Williams has been involved compared with TEC bars, which had
steel and concrete. in the development of TEC for 15 cracks that were smaller and finer.
years. Since 2019, they have tested the
Bond Strength Comparison technology in concert with studies at At the University of Illinois,5 ASTM
In use since the 1970s, ECR provides research universities. While testing will A944-10 8 microcracking testing of
long-term corrosion protection, creating continue through 2027, available results concrete specimens with the TEC
a proven barrier to oxygen, electrolytes, paint a clear picture.2‒6 bars showed that cracks were about
and other deleterious substances. half as wide as those with ECR,
Yet, there are some well-documented At the University of Minnesota, with a total crack area that was 33%
drawbacks associated with the use researchers performed tests of reinforced smaller. Flexural tests demonstrated
of ECR. For example, the powdered concrete lap splice beams using TEC reinforcing bar, compared
fusion-bonded epoxy coating cures to uncoated reinforcing bars, ECR, and with ECR, had substantially better
a hard surface that smooths out the TEC bars. The results of this research slip resistance of up to 74%. On the
ribs on reinforcing bars. This smoother have not yet been published, but the heels of the university’s testing, the
surface reduces the rough surface following preliminary observations Illinois Department of Transportation
profile and reduces the bond strength are offered. In ECR tests, the concrete continues to broaden the research for
with concrete by approximately 15% separated cleanly from the coated implementation of TEC as a promising
as compared with that of uncoated reinforcing bar, indicating weaker innovation for bridge construction
black bar.7 To compensate, engineers adhesion. Reinforcing bar coated with projects.6
must use longer development and splice TEC showed the best adhesion—
lengths than what is required with better than uncoated black bar— Damage Tolerance
black bar. On a project, this approach with researchers needing to chisel off TEC offers enhanced durability and
can add significant cost, weight, and concrete to inspect the reinforcing bars chip resistance compared with ECR,
reinforcement congestion. underneath. contributing to better corrosion
resistance by minimizing areas where
Compared with ECR, black bar offers In beam-end experiments at the steel might be exposed before being
better interaction and bond with University of Kansas,2 the reinforcing covered in concrete.
concrete. However, it is susceptible to bars with TEC showed approximately
corrosion. Corrosion-resistant TEC 20% better bond strength than ECR. In unpublished damage-tolerance tests
establishes a lasting connection with The splice strength of TEC bars also performed by Sherwin-Williams, in
concrete with bond strength that is averaged 1.05 times that of uncoated which technicians dropped reinforcing
similar to that of black bar, allowing bars, indicating that TEC bars have a bars on gravel to mimic potential
comparable reinforcing bar splice and comparable, if not better, bond than impacts at a construction site, ECR was
development lengths. TEC, which uncoated bars. more easily damaged than reinforcing
adds texture, not only enhances the bar coated with the TEC. The matrix
interaction with the concrete but also According to a Wisconsin Department of the TEC material is a molecular-level
increases the available surface area of Transportation study, 3 TEC can composite that provides more durability
for bonding by introducing texture reduce reinforcing bar splice lengths than the coating on an ECR.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 39

 If TEC is damaged, repairs can be costs and longer asset lives—the West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM
performed as specified in the ASTM coatings offer as compared with ECR International.
A775 specification,9 as well as ASTM and black bar. 9. ASTM International. 2019.
A1124.1 Field repair is prescribed in Standard Specification for Epoxy-
the specification and involves using an To demonstrate this technology, Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars.
approved spray-applied or brush-and- Sherwin-Williams is constructing their ASTM A775/A775M-19. West
roll-applied liquid touchup material. headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, using C o n s h o h o c k e n , PA : A S T M
TEC reinforcing bars. It will be the first International.
Concrete Evidence commercial building to use TEC bars. 10. ASTM International. 2018.
The new ASTM A1124 specification Standard Test Method for Impact
uses several approved test methods to References Resistance of Pipeline Coatings
assess the corrosion resistance, bond 1. ASTM International. 2023. (Falling Weight Test). ASTM G14-
strength, and damage tolerance of Standard Specification for Textured 04(2018). West Conshohocken,
different coatings. These standards Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing PA: ASTM International.
set the stage for establishing and Bars. ASTM A1124/A1124M-23. 11. ASTM International. 2022.
documenting acceptance criteria West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM Standard Test Method for Chipping
that can be applied when specifying International. Resistance of Coatings. ASTM
TEC bars. To create this standard, 2. Aryal, A. M., K. Truman, D. D3170/D3170M-14(2022).
independent laboratories conducted Da r w i n , e t a l . 2 0 2 3 . Bond West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM
the following tests on both TEC and Strength of Textured Epoxy-Coated International.
alternative materials: Bars. Structural Engineering and 12. ASTM International. 2019.
• Relative bond strength: ASTM Engineering Materials, SM Report Standard Test Method for Abrasion
A944 8 bond-strength testing, as no. 151. Lawrence: University of Resistance of Organic Coatings by the
well as lap-splice testing Kansas Center for Research. Taber Abraser. ASTM D4060-19.
• Damage tolerance: Durability 3. Ross, B. E., A. Poursaee, M. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM
testing covering impact resistance Mueller, et al. 2020. Proceedings International.
(ASTM G1410), chipping resistance from the 2020 American Concrete 13. ASTM International. 2010.
( A S T M D 3 1 7 0 11) , a b r a s i o n Institute Virtual Conference. S t a n d a r d Te s t M e t h o d f o r
resistance (ASTM D406012), and 4. Murphy, A. 2021. “Comparison Chemical Resistance of Pipeline
flexibility (ASTM A775 A1.3.59) of Flexural Cracking in Reinforced Coatings. ASTM G20-10. West
• Corrosion resistance: ASTM Concrete Beams with Different C o n s h o h o c k e n , PA : A S T M
A7759 testing, including tests for Bar Coatings.” MS thesis, Clemson International.
chemical resistance (ASTM G2013), University. 14. ASTM International. 2019.
cathodic disbonding (ASTM 5. Andrawes, B., E. A. P. Claros, Standard Test Methods for Cathodic
G814), salt spray resistance (ASTM and Z. Zhang. 2022. Bond Disbonding of Pipeline Coatings.
B11715), and chloride permeability Characteristics and Experimental A S T M G 8 - 9 6 ( 2 0 1 9 ) . We s t
(ASTM A775 A1.3.49) Behavior of Textured Epoxy-Coated C o n s h o h o c k e n , PA : A S T M
Rebars Used in Concrete Bridge International.
Concrete Plan Decks. University of Illinois 15. ASTM International. 2019.
With ASTM A1124 in place, further Urbana-Champaign, FHWA- Standard Practice for Operating
independent testing and product ICT-22-001. Urbana: Illinois Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus. ASTM
evaluations by the International Center for Transportation. https:// B117-19. West Conshohocken, PA:
Code Council will evaluate TEC doi.org/10.36501/0197-9191/22 ASTM International.
effectiveness and help with adoption -001. __________
by the American Association of State 6. Illinois Department of
Highway and Transportation Officials. Transportation (IDOT). 2022. Dr. Jeffrey David Rogozinski is global
State departments of transportation “Setting the Bar for Longer-Lasting director of functional coatings for
can gain confidence in the material and Bridges.” IDOT Blog. https://idot Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.
follow suit as leading oranizations adopt .illinois.gov/news/stronger-bridges With more than 30 years of experience in
guidance on the use of TEC technology .html. coatings and academia, he is responsible
for bridges. In addition, independent 7. American Concrete Institute for developing protective coatings,
testing could eventually lead to code (ACI) Committee 318. 2019. powder coatings, resins, and additives
adoption in the American Concrete Building Code Requirements for for the oil and gas, pipeline, and bridge
Institute’s Building Code Requirements Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19) and highway markets. Anthony Del Percio
for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19) and Commentary (ACI 318R-19). is the North American sales manager
and Commentary (ACI 318R-19).7 The Farmington Hills, MI: ACI. for rebar, valve, and traffic markings for
concrete industry will then have the 8. ASTM International. 2010. Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.
data and support to adopt TEC and Standard Test Method for Comparing With 35 years of experience in coatings,
realize the increased bond strength, Bond Strength of Steel Reinforcing he is responsible for strategic segment
damage tolerance, and corrosion Bars to Concrete Using Beam- growth in the functional coatings and
resistance—not to mention the reduced End Specimens. ASTM A944-10. bridge and highway markets.

40 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 CBEI SERIES

CBEI: Vision and Progress

by Graham Bettis, Reggie Holt, Dr. Oguzhan Bayrak, and Gregory Hunsicker, Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute

During the conceptualization of the A few years later, these concepts

Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute went from ideas to the first steps of
(CBEI), there were several recurring implementation at an AASHTO
themes: continuity of concrete bridge Committee on Bridges and Structures
expertise and sustained development meeting in Montgomery, Ala., where
of new subject matter experts, the theory of a national center serving
continuous improvement of the quality concrete bridges was discussed. The
of construction, minimizing potential AASHTO Technical Committees on
for construction issues, and bolstering Concrete Design, Construction, and
expertise, especially in highly technical Bridge Preservation played important
and specialized operations. Training was roles in bringing the concept to fruition.
identified as a significant component Their support and collaboration remain
of CBEI; however, serving as a hub for invaluable and integral to the program.
dialogue and discussion on the design
and construction of concrete bridges Soon after the initial discussions, a
was seen as paramount to the institute’s portion of the Interstate 35/U.S. Route
mission. Recognition by many industry 183 segmental bridge connector in
stakeholders of these and other needs Austin, Tex., was decommissioned due
Figure 1. A component from a
led to the genesis of CBEI. to a change in alignment. Recognizing
trapezoidal box-girder segment salvaged
that the bridge was an excellent
from the decommissioned Interstate
In 2015, the American Association concrete sample, the Texas Department
35/U.S. Route 183 direct connector is one
of State Highway and Transportation of Transportation salvaged portions of
of the first specimens in the Concrete
Officials (AASHTO) Technical Committee the structure and transported them to
Bridge Component Collection at the
T-10, Concrete Design, identified the the CBEI site (Fig. 1). These specimens
Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute.
following characteristics of concrete are among the first components in the
Photo: Concrete Bridge Engineering
bridges as part of its vision for these Concrete Bridge Component Collection.
Institute.
structures:
• Resilient, durable, sustainable, and Development of the Three brainstorming and discussion.1 As part
uniformly safe over their life cycles Pillars of a Federal Highway Administration
• Easily maintainable One of the first goals identified for CBEI (FHWA) Global Benchmarking Program
• Cost-effective was the creation of a post-tensioning study, a group from the United States
• Constructed with minimal disruption (PT) laboratory. Initial work in this visited projects in Switzerland and Italy
to the traveling public area started through a Broad Agency and met with international experts to
• Adaptable to functionality and Announcement. Further discussions led share best practices and discuss the
climate change to the concept of the PT Laboratory, challenges they faced. (See the FHWA
• Proportioned and detailed for followed by the development of the article in the Spring 2021 issue of
multihazards, as appropriate three pillars. Many potential topics ASPIRE.) During the exchange, Dr. Max
• Designed, proportioned, detailed, were discussed and may be added in Meyer shared the hands-on approach
constructed, inspected, and the future, but three topics rose to the his company had taken to help develop
maintained by a knowledgeable top of the list as important areas of and train personnel using full-scale
workforce focus: post-tensioning, bridge deck components at the VSL PT Academy
construction inspection, and concrete in Thailand. Incorporating aspects of
Some of the strategies that were materials for bridges. (See the Fall 2022 that program seemed like a natural next
identified to realize this vision included issue of ASPIRE®.) step for developing a PT laboratory in
items that ultimately spawned the the United States, as well as the other
idea for a concrete bridge center. Much of the initial work for CBEI was pillars of CBEI’s program, concrete
For example, one of the strategies in the area of post-tensioning. An materials and bridge deck construction
recognized the benefits of having a international benchmarking study on inspection. (See the CBEI article in
repository of information for concrete PT technology, in particular electrically the Summer 2022 issue of ASPIRE.)
bridges. isolated tendons (EIT), led to further Participants in the benchmarking

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 41

 program study from the United States
included Graham Bettis, Dr. Michael
Brown, Gregg Freeby, Dr. Zachary Haber,
Reggie Holt, Miroslav Vejvoda, and
Kevin Western (Fig. 2).

As a result of the study, international

collaboration continues and brings
value by advancing the state of practice
in post-tensioning as well as other
concrete bridge-related concerns.
Since that study, there have been
several meetings and initiatives. A PT
Technology Exchange meeting was
held in conjunction with the American
Segmental Bridge Institute (ASBI)
Convention in Austin, Tex., in 2022.
Participants included stakeholders
from around the world, such as bridge
Figure 2. Participants in the Global Benchmarking Program trip in Switzerland. Photo:
owners and transportation agency
Federal Highway Administration.
representatives, who shared their
experiences with post-tensioning and the structure, rather than materials, It is also critical that robust training and
advancements in the industry. FHWA a broad understanding of concrete certification programs be available for
and CBEI staff have also been actively materials can be very helpful. Ongoing specific applications. As seen in examples
engaged, along with U.S. industry changes in the industry also present an involving other types of structures, such
partners, in international efforts with fib opportunity and need to increase the as welding in steel bridges, detailed
(International Federation for Structural knowledge base within the industry. and stringent training and certification
Concrete), including participation in When using concrete materials in the programs can be developed to align
fib Task Group 5.14, Durability of Post- modern environment, stakeholders must workmanship requirements with the
Tensioning Tendons. This task group, consider principles of sustainability, importance of the application. Training
which includes CBEI staff member challenges with material availability, and and certification programs for the
Gregory Hunsicker, is updating the new advances in materials. various roles are important not only for
widely referenced 2005 fib Bulletin 332 contractors but also for engineers and
and merging it with the FHWA technical Much of the training in the industry inspectors.
report Methodology for Risk Assessment has been solely web based or classroom
of Post-Tensioning Tendons.3 based. However, the use of in-person Progress and Schedule
training outside of the production We are excited to see the progress at
The focus on best practices for bridge environment represents a unique and CBEI. The concrete bridge component
deck construction to ensure long- valuable experience. The ability to collection already includes several
term performance was identified illustrate concepts, defects, and best impressive items and will continue
as one of the three pillars. The long- practices in a hands-on manner can to grow. The kickoff meeting for the
term performance of bridge decks is a accelerate and strengthen the learning Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) for
function of proper initial construction, process, especially for technically CBEI was held in mid-June 2023.
and this topic sparks a lot of interest, demanding operations such as post- Several participating state transportation
given the multitude of bridge tensioning. Whether the goal is to agencies and the FHWA are shaping the
decks in the United States. Nearly all explore outdoor concrete durability future of CBEI. Since the June kickoff
departments of transportation are exposure sites (see the Winter 2023 for the TPF, the Florida Department
engaged with the construction and issue of ASPIRE) or gain knowledge of Transportation and Tennessee
maintenance of bridge decks on a large about mixing, testing, and injecting Department of Transportation have
scale. A focus on a training program for grout, a hands-on component makes joined, and the fund has exceeded its
construction inspection of bridge decks a huge difference in the educational initial funding target. One of the most
was identified as one of the important experience. When learning about a exciting developments is that the pilot
initial programs. concrete deck, working through a dry presentation of the Concrete Materials
run and seeing issues like insufficient for Bridges Program is ready and
The Concrete Materials for Bridges clear cover in person is a good exercise. scheduled for January 3–4, 2024.
Program serves as the third pillar. The
importance of proper concrete mixture Given the national scope of CBEI, Meanwhile, progress continues with
proportions was recognized, as well as it is important that the three pillars our other programs. Working with
the need for broader understanding incorporate regional perspectives industry partners such as ASBI, PCI,
of the “whats” and “whys.” While about construction methods, detailing, the Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), and
structural engineers tend to focus on defects, and the environment. the National Concrete Bridge Council

42 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

(NCBC) has been critical. The input and transportation agency partners and 5. PTI. 2019. Specification for Grouting
collaboration of these organizations industry partners for their support. of Post-Tensioned Structures. PTI
and their members is key to establishing M55.1-19. Farmington Hills, MI: PTI.
best practices and training personnel. References
6. American Association of State
We are all working toward the same 1. Federal Highway Administration
Highway and Transportation Officials
goals and see value in the partnerships. (FHWA). 2020. Electrically Isolated
Tendons in European Transportation (AASHTO). 2020. AASHTO LRFD
The recent approval and adoption of
S t r u c t u r e s . F H WA - P L - 2 0 - 0 1 3 . Bridge Design Specifications. 9th ed.
the PTI/ASBI M50.3-194 and PTI M55.1-
Washington, DC: FHWA. https:// Washington, DC: AASHTO.
195 specifications in the next editions
of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design international.fhwa.dot.gov/pubs 7. AASHTO. 2017. AASHTO LRFD
Specifications 6 and AASHTO LRFD /pl20013/fhwa_pl20013.pdf. Bridge Construction Specifications.
Bridge Construction Specifications 7 2. f i b ( I n t e r n a t i o n a l F e d e r a t i o n 4th ed. Washington, DC: AASHTO.
represent a collaborative effort among for Structural Concrete). 2005. ____________
FHWA, AASHTO Concrete Technical Durability of Post-tensioning
Committee, AASHTO Construction Tendons. Bulletin 33. Lausanne, Graham Bettis is the state bridge
Technical Committee, ASBI, and PTI, and Switzerland: fib. engineer and director of the bridge
supported by CBEI. division at the Texas Department of
3. FHWA. 2022. Methodology for Transportation, the lead agency for
Through CBEI, a significant effort is Risk Assessment of Post-Tensioning CBEI. Reggie Holt is a senior structural
being made to collect and reinforce Te n d o n s . F H WA H I F - 2 0 - 0 4 1 engineer at the Federal Highway
best practices. However, there is also Washington, DC: FHWA. https:// Administration in Washington, D.C.,
room to advance new and under-used www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/concrete where he manages the concrete bridge
technologies. In general, the items /hif20041.pdf. program. Dr. Oguzhan Bayrak is a chaired
being considered are relatively advanced 4. Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) professor at the University of Texas at
in their technology-readiness level, and and American Segmental Bridge Austin, where he serves as the director of
we look forward to CBEI helping to Institute (ASBI). 2019. Specification the Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute
shape the best practices and develop for Multistrand and Grouted Post- (CBEI). Gregory Hunsicker is a research
the next generation of concrete Tensioning. PTI/ASBI M50.3-19. engineer at the University of Texas at
bridge experts. Thank you to our state Farmington Hills, MI: PTI. Austin and deputy director of CBEI.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 43

S TAT E

Wisconsin
Leveraging data and technology to put
more local bridge projects into production
by Aaron Bonk, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Structures

T hinking about locally owned bridges

in Wisconsin can conjure up a variety of
images, from small timber bridges blending
Designers and planners can download these
standard plans to streamline the work, allowing
the local program in turn to preserve resources
long been a supporter of making the right
maintenance and replacement choices at the
right time. This approach has historically
in with the countryside or older stone arches to maximize overall output. included recommending proper cycles of
spanning small creeks to concrete T-beam Having such a tool has been an ongoing routine maintenance; completing bridge
bridges, and any number of other structure types consideration at WisDOT, and it became a rehabilitations as close as possible to the time
in an array of settings. While all these structures greater priority as the Bipartisan Infrastructure when they are needed, with the understanding
are unique in some way, they can also have Law navigated the federal legislative process. that other work in the project vicinity may
much in common. Anticipating this opportunity, WisDOT shift timelines slightly; optimizing material
Over the past several years, the Wisconsin management asked engineering staff to explore choices given project-specific criteria; and
Department of Transportation (WisDOT) options to help maximize investment in local making the appropriate structure-type selection
Bureau of Structures (BOS) has focused on bridges. The focus made sense, considering there when replacement is necessary based not
the similarities among smaller structures to are almost 9000 such bridges statewide, making only on up-front construction costs but also
develop a Standard Bridge Design Tool (SBDT). up roughly 63% of the total bridge inventory. the associated life-cycle maintenance costs.
After successful pilot testing, the SBDT is now In addition, local bridges are more likely to Each of these decisions can extend the life
being widely used. Its implementation comes carry load postings and poor condition ratings of the structures and effective stewardship of
at arguably the perfect time given the historic compared with their counterparts in the state taxpayer dollars. For more on WisDOT’s asset
funding opportunities of the Bipartisan system (Table 1). management philosophy and the development
Infrastructure Law. As an organization, WisDOT has shifted of our process, see the Concrete Bridge
The SBDT provides a catalog of solutions for to a more data-driven, condition-based Stewardship article on page 28 of this issue of
single-span, cast-in-place concrete slab bridges, asset management philosophy over the last ASPIRE®.
which are found throughout the local program decade. This shift helped set the stage for With Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds in
and are the types most used for replacements. SBDT development. The WisDOT BOS has place and WisDOT ready to funnel significant

In Racine County, the 58th Road Bridge over the west branch of Root River Canal served as a pilot project for implementation of the Wisconsin
Department of Transportation’s Standard Bridge Design Tool. All Figures and Photos: Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
 Table 1. Comparison of load-posted bridges in the Wisconsin local and state inventories
and efficiently work with them. The SBDT
Percentage
Total bridges
Load-posted program uses WisDOT BOS proprietary slab
of bridges with
bridges span design and rating software and WisDOT
postings
standard details to create the standardized
Local System 8957 460 5.1% bridge plans. These plans come in the form of
PDF and Civil 3D files, which are downloaded
State System 5363 16 0.3%
by the designer from the BOS website and
the program’s user interface. To obtain the
funding to the local system, BOS recommended sets, but also be able to dynamically change with appropriate standardized design and plans from
developing standardized bridge plans for use shifts in design codes, design policy adjustments, the website, the project designer completes the
on locally owned bridges. Concrete bridges, in and drafting standards. Approximately 20 years preliminary structure design by first defining
one form or another, make up approximately ago, WisDOT had a catalog of standard bridge the type, size, and location of the bridge and
70% of the Wisconsin bridge inventory. In most plans, but they quickly became obsolete as the then determining seven input parameters (span
situations, concrete is the structural material process of updating each individual plan set length, bridge clear width, skew, railing/parapet
of choice for Wisconsin bridges because it is whenever something changed was incredibly type, minimum abutment height, paving
durable and can resist deterioration due to resource intensive. The current version of standard notch, piling type). The SBDT programming
deicing agents, which are used throughout the bridge plans that WisDOT developed uses C# was set up to efficiently create over 12,000
winter months. When reviewing local bridge- coding and the AutoCAD ObjectARX programming combinations of bridge designs and plans from
replacement projects completed in the last two environment to connect the design model to Civil the input parameters to fit a wide array of local
decades, BOS found that cast-in-place concrete 3D, which creates the plans. The coding effectively program bridge site constraints. For further
slab bridges were the most common structure allows WisDOT to adjust one set of inputs that can information about the SBDT parameters and
type selected, used in almost 50% of cases. Given be applied across different bridge configuration an example of the standard plans, visit https://
the data, standardizing the design of one of the parameters, as opposed to editing all options wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/local-gov/
state’s bread-and-butter bridge types—single- individually. lpm/lp-standarized-bridge-plan-pilot.aspx.
span concrete slab bridges—made all the sense Once the strategic vision for the coding and As a part of the SBDT development, WisDOT
in the world. programming of the SBDT was set, BOS next needed to address the legal aspect of shared
WisDOT BOS strategically set out to create a tool determined how the designers would interface liability for completion of the final bid
that would not only produce standard bridge plan with the tool to receive the designs and plans documents and plans. Attorneys for WisDOT

Standardized plans that are provided to the designer from the tool’s website user interface. The red boxes indicate items that the designer must update

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 45

 developed an agreement form that all consultant
engineering firms must sign to be eligible to
take on the design work for projects involving
the tool. The agreement states that WisDOT takes
on the liability for the accurate design, analysis,
ratings, and plan assembly, while the consultant
firm that stamps the final plans takes on the
liability for the proper sizing of the bridge, use of
the tool, and updating the plan items requiring
modification when received from the tool’s
website.
WisDOT BOS’s development of the SBDT
Single-span cast-in-place concrete slab bridges were designed and constructed throughout Wisconsin
started in 2020 and was finalized for pilot-
using standardized plans under a new pilot program. The inset map shows the locations of the 10
project use in 2021. Ten pilot projects
pilot projects, which were spread across the five regions of the state.
representing the five regions of Wisconsin were
identified, with construction slated for 2022 the cost savings in the design phase for these type on the local system as well as the benefits
and 2023. As of publication of this article, all projects will be close to 67% of typical projects of having a consistent delivery process for the
the pilot projects were designed, bid, let, and because designers will become more familiar design of these structures.
constructed with no significant issues identified with the tool. All savings in the design phase will For more information about Wisconsin’s
within the process, designs, or plans. For these help WisDOT invest more money in the local bridges, visit https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages
10 pilot projects, savings of approximately 33% program and replace additional bridges. /doing-bus/eng-consultants/cnslt-rsrces/strct
of average historical costs were seen in the Wisconsin has always sought to allocate /default.aspx.
design phase. Moving forward, WisDOT BOS program resources efficiently, and the creation of _________
has identified an additional 134 candidates a standardized bridge program for single-span, Aaron Bonk is the chief structures design
for bridge-replacement projects scheduled for cast-in-place concrete slab bridges is another engineer for the Wisconsin Department
construction between 2023 and 2027 that fit the way of accomplishing this objective. WisDOT of Transportation Bureau of Structures, in
parameters of the SBDT. It is anticipated that is already seeing the benefits of this structure Madison, Wis.

Part of the website user interface showing inputs required by the designer to receive standard bridge plans output.

46 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 A PROFESSOR'S PERSPECTIVE

Operational Strategies for Truck

Platoon Permits—Effective Use
of Prestressed Concrete Girders
by Dr. Jay Puckett and Dr. Joshua Steelman, University of Nebraska

W e recently studied effective

strategies for truck platoon
operations for strength, service,
girder bridge design, prestressing
strands are selected to limit concrete
tensile stresses, with stress limits
discretion of individual engineers, such
as prestress loss calculation methods,
use of gross or transformed section
and fatigue limit states. (For more depending on the American Association analysis, consideration or neglect
information about truck platoons and of State Highway and Transportation of elastic gains, and live-load factor
their effect on bridges, see the FHWA Officials’ AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design selection. Furthermore, computations
article in the Summer 2019 issue of Specifications,3 the state transportation for the same girders designed with
ASPIRE®.) The premise of this work is agency’s standards, and/or the owner’s different assumptions would yield
that some trucks are—or will become— practice. For permit ratings, some different numbers of strands, which
“smart,” with the ability to drive long owners might limit tensile stresses provide various resistances to cracking
distances autonomously. With such to zero (bottom fibers always in and potential damage due to repetitive
intelligence, these trucks can likely compression). In contrast, others might loads from heavy platoons.
report their axle weights and spacings allow 0.19 fc′ , where fc′ is the design
as well as control their relative headway concrete compressive strength in ksi, The aforementioned assumptions
distances. Given such controls, the similar to the Service III limit state in complicate the live-load factor calibration
traditional statistics used to calibrate live- the AASHTO LRFD specifications. process for platoon permitting by
load factors become better known. For Performance assessment computations affecting resistance computations. For
example, the truck live-load variability is are complicated by various assumptions example, should permit computations use
much smaller than the variabilities used either adopted by agencies or left to the zero or 0.19 fc′ for the tensile-stress limit?
for typical permitting or design. Dynamic
headway controls can also position
47’
trucks to maintain safety and service
performance thresholds as platoons cross 2” wearing surface
bridges of varying spans along a route.
Our recent studies are one of the first 8”
efforts to study truck platooning from a
reliability perspective.1,2

If and when a new permit process

that allows larger live loads than 3’-6” 10’ 10’ 10’ 10’ 3’-6”
current legal loads is created, new
calibration using reliability indices β
that are reasonably based on current Design Parameters
practice and bridge performance will • 120-ft simple-span bridge
be required. For example, the strength • Optimally design for tensile stress limit = 0.0948 fc
limit for design is typically targeted • Optimal design = exact number of strands for Service III limit state
• Refined losses with elastic gain
to be β = 3.5 (0.023% probability of
• Design live load factor γLL = 1.0
exceeding the limit). For load rating, β =
• NU 1600 girder
2.5 (0.62% probability of exceeding the • Haunch = 1 in.
limit) is often used for strength. To date,
Prestress Parameters
limited studies have been performed on
• 270 ksi low-relaxation strand
calibrating load factors for service and
• fpy = 243 ksi
fatigue limit states.
Concrete Parameters
To develop a platooning permit strategy, • fc _girder = 8 ksi
the service and fatigue limit states must • fc _deck = 4 ksi
be addressed to enable larger loads
and minimize damage to concrete Figure 1. Example prestressed concrete bridge. All Figures: University of Nebraska–
components. For prestressed concrete Lincoln.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 47

 used in bridge reliability assessment and
calibration. At the Service III limit state
considered for this design (noted in Fig.
1), the reliability index is an evolving
topic that will be the focus of future
ASPIRE perspectives.

In Fig. 2, the M- φ diagram “starts”

at point A, which is at transfer of
prestress, moving next to include girder
self-weight. Then after the composite
deck has been placed and cured, the
superimposed dead load and any
potential wearing surface loads are
applied, and finally superimposed live
load is applied (at point F).

Information presented in the yellow-

Figure 2. Moment-curvature diagram of the example prestressed concrete girder.
shaded box in Fig. 2 includes limiting
Should permit computations allow tensile that influence flexural behavior, such tensile-stress formulations from relevant
stress up to the full modulus of rupture as gross cross-section geometry, elastic specifications that have been used in
(0.24 fc′) cracking strength? If so, should gains, cracking, yielding, and tension the related research activities. 3,4 They
the average statistical value or the higher stiffening, are all included in Fig. 2 as consider various levels of permitted
value be used for estimating cracking the diagram tracks the mechanistic tension stresses such as zero tension,
moment? The Service II limit state for steel behavior. This method is used in many 0.0948 fc′ , or 0.19 fc′ (which are
girders uses an allowable stress fallowable of research areas and advanced analysis traditional limits for various levels of
0.95Fy (where Fy is the yield stress of steel) in performance-based seismic design. environmental exposure and potential
for composite sections, which anticipates Numerical and experimental data corrosion), and 0.24 fc′ , which is
permanent deformations due to partial comparisons have demonstrated associated with the modulus of rupture
plastification with residual stresses. excellent agreement over various load (that is, the theoretical cracking
Should concrete girders use similar limits, levels. Example reliability indices are limit). The yellow box also contains
considering that recompression can still shown for the 75-year design life. The information demonstrating that under
be achieved even after some degree of reliability index at the strength level increased live load (at point I), the
prestressing strand yielding? can be confidently determined from section moves toward a high fraction
common methods and assumptions of yield such as 0.9fpy, which is used
So, the question arises: Are the
traditional methods for evaluating
Table 1. Moment-curvature diagram operational points of interest
prestressed concrete girder service
performance suitable for effectively Operational Point
using the bridge inventory for innovative A Transfer of prestress excluding girder self-weight (A and B occur simultaneously)
strategies such as platoons? B Transfer of prestress including girder self-weight
C Deck is placed, not hardened, slight camber
Basic Mechanics
When considering difficult engineering C Deck is hardened and slope changes to composite section
problems, it is often best to return to Composite dead load of components (DC stage II) is placed; perhaps dead load of utili-
D
mechanics for understanding, or at ties and wearing surfaces (DW) are as well; all small load effects
least as a framework. Let’s start with an E Zero curvature, only Pe /Ag stress
example.
F Live load is applied
Consider the prestressed concrete girder G Zero tension in bottom fiber
bridge shown in Fig. 1. The girders were H Section cracks
optimally designed for HL-93 loading I Tension increases, neutral axis rises, curvature increases, concrete behavior is nonlinear
using tensile stress limits from the
AASHTO LRFD specifications’ Service III Strand stress at 0.9fpy, the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation4 limit state per Article
J
6A.5.4.2.2b
limit state. Figure 2 shows the girder
moment-curvature (M- φ ) diagram. K Yield of prestressing steel in bottom layer
L Code-based nominal moment Mn, at concrete strain εc of 0.003
The M- φ diagram best represents M Actual plastic moment Mp
the behavior of flexural components
Source: University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
(or beam-columns) from the transfer Note: Ag = gross area of the concrete section; e = strand eccentricity; fpy = yield strength of prestressing strands; P = prestress-
of prestress to the strength limit. Items ing force after prestress losses.

48 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

in Article 6A.5.4.2.2b of AASHTO’s In future articles, we hope to expand NDOT https://dot.nebraska.gov
Manual for Bridge Evaluation. 4 There to reliability indices associated with /media/0ese55i1/spr-fy22-011-final
is a significant range of operational different load levels and the target -report-ver2.pdf.
resistances that might be rationally reliability indices associated with 3. American Association of State
adopted to effectively use bridge various design assumptions mentioned Highway and Transportation Officials
inventories for platoon loading. in this article. Platooning was the (AASHTO). 2020. AASHTO LRFD
impetus for our research, but the Bridge Design Specifications. 9th ed.
Conclusion findings will also help guide design Washington, DC: AASHTO.
more generally. 4. AASHTO. 2018. Manual for Bridge
The history of taking a stress limitation
Evaluation. 3rd ed. Washington, DC:
approach is long, but that approach References AASHTO.
may impose unnecessary limitations on
1. Steelman, J. S., J. A. Puckett, D. G. _____________
platooning operations. Thus, platoons
Linzell, and B. Yang. 2021. Truck
are a prominent motivation for Dr. Jay Puckett is a professor in the
Platooning Effects on Girder Bridges.
better understanding heavy loads on Durham School for Architectural
Final Report no. SPR-1(20) M030.
prestressed concrete girders. Perhaps a Engineering and Construction at the
Lincoln: Nebraska Department of University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He has
more rigorous computation approach,
Transportation (NDOT). https://dot conducted bridge engineering research
based on mechanics, could be used to and software development for four
.nebraska.gov/media/vvalloir/spr-1-20
better understand the performance of decades and is the author of several
-m030-truck-platooning-effects-on
girders operating with permits that allow NCHRP reports.
-girder-bridges-final-report.pdf.
repeated platoon travels. This future Dr. Joshua Steelman is an associate
activity should involve deterioration and 2. Steelman, J. S., J. A. Puckett, D. G. professor in the department of Civil
fatigue modeling coupled with economic Linzell, and B. Yang. 2023. Truck and Environmental Engineering at the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His
modeling that can be linked to various Platooning Effects on Girder Bridges: current work focuses on bridge design,
operational strategies associated with Phase II—Ser vice. Final Report evaluation, and management, as well as in
bridge service life. no. SPR-FY22(011). Lincoln, Neb.: crash safety for roadside hardware.

Internal Curing of
Concrete using Pre-wetted
Lightweight Aggregate
The ESCSI Guide Specifications for Internally Cured Concrete
defines the concept of internal curing as: “Prewetted expanded
shale, clay, or slate lightweight aggregate … incorporated into a
conventional concrete mixture to provide reservoirs of water within
the concrete that slowly release the water after the concrete sets to
provide ‘internal curing’ to the mixture.” The Guide Specifications
also state that internal curing can be accomplished by “… modifying
a conventional normal weight concrete mixture … by replacing a
portion of the normal weight fine aggregate with prewetted fine
or intermediate … lightweight aggregate.” This is illustrated by
the figure by comparing the relative proportions of materials in a
conventional deck concrete mixture with the same mixture that has Comparison of constituents for conventional and internally cured concrete mixtures.
been modified to include internal curing.
The concept of internal curing with prewetted lightweight aggregate curing to extend the service life of bridge decks as part of the
has been recognized for several decades. However, it has only current Every Day Counts Program (EDC-7) with an initiative
recently begun to be used for bridge decks. In prior issues of titled “Enhancing Performance with Internally Cured Concrete
ASPIRE, the concept has been discussed in an article from the New (EPIC2)”. Information on the initiative and resources for owners
York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) appearing in the and users can be found at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/
Summer 2019 issue and in an article from the Virginia Department everydaycounts/edc_7/enhancing_epic.cfm
of Transportation (VDOT) in the Winter 2023 issue.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is now encouraging Information on internal curing can also
owners of bridges in the United States to consider using internal be found at www.escsi.org

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 49

 A PROFESSOR'S PERSPECTIVE

Lessons from Dr. Paul Zia

by Dr. Gregory Lucier, Dr. Sami Rizkalla, and Dr. Rudolf Seracino, North Carolina State University

T he passing of Dr. Paul Zia this past

August has provided an occasion to
reflect on the life, achievements, and
After reaching Taiwan, Paul was
eventually able to obtain his passport
from the exiled Chinese Nationalist
he instead ask for work at Lakeland
Engineering Associates (LEA), a small
firm housed in the same building as
lessons of this extraordinary man. Dr. government’s Hong Kong consulate. He the employment office. Paul landed
Zia was 97 years old at the time of his then traveled to Florida, along with his a summer internship with the firm
passing, and he is survived by his wife, future wife, Dora Yun-Qing Liu, who and continued to work for LEA while
two children, and four grandchildren. was enrolled in the same program. pursuing his master’s degree at UW.
In addition, the hundreds of students, Upon arriving in the United States, After graduating from UW in 1953, he
faculty, and professional colleagues Paul worked as the school janitor as returned to work full time for LEA at
he advised and mentored over the part of his work-study arrangement. a new subsidiary, Lakeland Engineering
years, including the authors of this He reflected on this position later in Associates Prestressing (LEAP). During
article, remember him fondly and with life as one of his best experiences these years, a brand-new prestressed
gratitude. Many of us have Dr. Zia to because the job taught him how things concrete industry was created, which led
thank for positively influencing our lives worked and how to fix things that were directly to the founding of the Precast/
and for shaping major portions of our broken—practical skills that no doubt Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). Paul
careers. He was recently described by served him well later in his career. In was at the forefront of early prestressed
a colleague as an “educator, mentor, due time, Paul and Dora were both concrete concepts, designs, and
scholar, researcher, engineer, and true accepted as master’s degree students experiments, and he helped implement
gentleman.” at the University of Washington (UW) in many of the first prestressed concrete
Seattle. Paul would work for Professor building projects in Florida.
We will briefly summarize some of Bert Farquharson, who, interestingly,
the lesser-known details of Dr. Zia’s can be seen in a famous historical Despite being recognized as an
fascinating biography here. More video as the last person walking off international expert in prestressed
detailed accounts of his life and career the Tacoma Narrows Bridge before its concrete by this early stage of his
are available from a variety of sources, collapse in 1940. career, Paul was not content with the
including the Fall 2012 issue of PCI limits of his knowledge and decided to
Journal and the October 2023 issue The summer before leaving for UW, join the University of Florida in 1955
of Concrete International.1,2 The most Paul’s work-study arrangement at FSC as an instructor and PhD student. He
unique source is a nearly two-hour had ended, so he applied for temporary desired to earn a PhD, to teach, to
interview conducted in 2015 by the work at a local employment office. conduct research, and to “find out the
North Carolina State University (NCSU) Upon reviewing his qualifications, the answers to some interesting questions
Libraries, in which Dr. Zia describes his employment office clerk suggested that [about prestressed concrete].” 3 His
personal history and offers insightful
Dr. Paul Zia and a PCI Research and Development Council advisory group observe testing
recollections and commentary on
on punching shear in prestressed concrete beam ledges at the North Carolina State
his teaching, research, and work with
University Constructed Facilities Laboratory in 2013. All Photos: North Carolina State
industry.3
University.

Born near Shanghai, China, in 1926,

Paul Zung-Teh Zia was the youngest
of seven children, six of whom studied
engineering. By the time Paul graduated
from Chiao Tung University in 1949 with
a degree in engineering, Mao and the
Chinese Communist Party had encircled
Shanghai and were beginning to drive
out the Nationalist government. Paul had
been admitted to a work-study program
at Florida Southern College (FSC) in
the United States. As the Nationalists
retreated to Taiwan, Paul was able to
secure passage out of Shanghai on
one of the final freighters to leave the
besieged city, eventually arriving safely in
Hong Kong.

50 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

 us today. He was solidly grounded comment that a student or colleague
in the fundamental sciences that wanted to share. He was dedicated
underpin engineering and he distilled to his family, and he and Dora would
every problem down to its basic frequently welcome students and
components. Dr. Zia ensured that his colleagues into their home. He allowed
students would gain a strong working students the space to develop their
knowledge of mathematics, statics, own ideas, while helping guide those
dynamics, and mechanics, and apply a ideas from the perspective of solid first
deep understanding of those topics to principles. He would debate colleagues
the engineering problems at hand. He from a position of respect, even when
enjoyed problems that seemed complex he disagreed with their viewpoints. Dr.
at first, but with the right pieces of Zia was a student of everything around
fundamental knowledge, could be him, and he did not limit his desire to
solved easily with an elegant approach. learn to the boundaries of his own
profession. He was a strong supporter
As an academic, Dr. Zia greatly valued of integrating research, teaching, and
Dr. Paul Zia and his grandchildren
research, teaching, and collaboration the application of knowledge in industry
observe a prestressed concrete beam
with industry, which are the three main to tangible problems.
experiment at the North Carolina
components of the NCSU land-grant
State University Constructed Facilities
mission. Dr. Zia frequently articulated Dr. Zia was truly a model academic, an
Laboratory in 2015.
that each of the three elements of outstanding engineer, and an inspiring
career from this point forward is well this mission are strengthened by the person.
documented, as he went on to accept other two, and he worked tirelessly
a faculty position at NCSU, serve as a throughout his career to involve Note: The authors are grateful to Dr.
visiting faculty at the University of students in all aspects of his work. Zia’s children, May and Lee, for sharing
California at Berkeley with Professor He encouraged and exemplified some of the historical details of his
T. Y. Lin, and eventually become a head a practical approach to research and biography.
of the Civil Engineering Department at to engineering problem-solving by
NCSU. Dr. Zia’s achievements in these routinely spending significant portions References
positions, which are too numerous to of his time in the laboratory—engaged 1. Gale, S. F. 2012. “Meet Paul Zia: A
list here, include hundreds of research with students and staff—personally Founding Father.” PCI Journal 57
projects, publications, and awards. He conducting and observing the (4): 144. https://doi.org/10.15554
was elected in 1983 to the National experiments he supervised. /pcij57.4-07.
Academy of Engineering, arguably
2. American Concrete Institute. 2023.
the highest honor an engineer can His teaching followed a similar
“In Remembrance.” Concrete
receive, and he served as president of philosophy, as he instructed his
International 45 (10): 13.
the American Concrete Institute (ACI) students from the basis of sound
in 1989. His vision and effort were fundamentals and practical design 3. North Carolina State University
central to the creation in 1996 of the problems. Dr. Zia also encouraged Libraries. 2015. “Paul Zia Oral History,
Constructed Facilities Laboratory at his students to follow his example of 6 January 2015.” Interview with Paul
NCSU, an experimental testing facility implementing and applying work in the Zia by Virginia Ferris. North Carolina
that enables the type of large-scale public and private sectors by engaging State University Oral Histories, MC
structural engineering research for with practitioners, engineering 00449. Raleigh: North Carolina State
which Dr. Zia is well known. His research associations, regulatory agencies, code- University Libraries Special Collections
on precast and prestressed concrete writing bodies, and industry groups. Research Center. https://d.lib.ncsu
spanned nearly seven decades, from He strongly advised students to get .edu/collections/catalog/mc00449-oh
the mid-1950s until 2023, and his work involved with the regional and national -zia-20150106.
heavily influences modern prestressed organizations that support our shared _____________
concrete engineering design. Dr. Zia is engineering profession such as the Dr. Gregory Lucier is an associate research
also recognized for his role in the highly American Society of Civil Engineers, professor and manager in the Department
technical move of the Cape Hatteras ACI, and PCI. of Civil, Construction, and Environmental
Engineering and manager of the
Lighthouse in 1999, an ambitious project
Constructed Facilities Laboratory at North
undertaken by the National Park Service Most importantly, we observed the Carolina State University.
to save the 200-ft-tall brick structure k i n d n e s s, pati enc e, and res pec t Dr. Sami Rizkalla is a professor emeritus
from encroaching seas. Dr. Zia showed to all with whom he of Civil Engineering and Construction at
interacted. Despite his incredible depth North Carolina State University.
Having the opportunity to work closely of knowledge, his endless awards Dr. Rudi Seracino is a professor of
with Dr. Zia for many years was a true and accolades, and his fascinating structural engineering and the associate
head for undergraduate programs in
honor and a privilege for the authors and sometimes difficult life, Dr. Zia the Department of Civil, Construction,
of this article. We have learned many was always ready and willing to listen and Environmental Engineering at North
lessons from Dr. Zia that we carry with carefully to any suggestion, concern, or Carolina State University.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 51

 AASHTO LRFD

Approved Changes to the Ninth

Edition AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design
Specifications: Use of High-Strength
Steel in Concrete Bridges and Bar Cut-Offs
by Dr. Oguzhan Bayrak, University of Texas at Austin

T his article focuses on two of the

changes to the ninth edition of the
American Association of State Highway
and grades of reinforcing steel shall be
used in members containing potential
plastic hinge regions:
high load demands, a large amount
of reinforcing steel may be needed,
which may cause rebar congestion and
and Transportation Officials’ AASHTO ◦ For bridges in Seismic Zones 2 construction challenges. The use of
LRFD Bridge Design Specifications1 that and 3, ASTM A706 Grade 60, high strength bar reinforcement may
were approved at the May 2023 meeting except that ASTM A615 Grade 60 result in a more reasonable amount
of the AASHTO Committee on Bridges or ASTM A706 Grade 80 may be of reinforcing steel in the members,
and Structures (COBS). These changes used with the owner’s approval leading to savings in material,
were prepared by AASHTO Technical ◦ For bridges in Seismic Zone 4, shipping, and placement costs.
Committee T-10, which is now known ASTM A706 Grade 60, except that Reducing reinforcement congestion
as AASHTO Concrete Committee. ASTM A706 Grade 80 may be also leads to better quality of concrete
The changes will be included in the used with the owner’s approval construction.
forthcoming 10th edition of the In Seismic Zones 2, 3, and 4, unless • The background on these changes as
AASHTO LRFD specifications.2 prohibited by the owner, the following found in the ballot item is as follows:
ASTM designations and grades The 2012 Interims of the AASHTO
High-Strength Steel in of reinforcing steel may be used in LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
Concrete Bridges (Working members not containing potential (Agenda Item 38) permitted the
Agenda Item 168, COBS plastic hinge regions: use of high strength reinforcing bars
Agenda Item 31) ◦ ASTM A615 Grades 60, 80, and with minimum yield strength of
This agenda item makes modifications 100 100 ksi in non-seismic regions.
to three different parts of the AASHTO ◦ ASTM A706 Grades 60 and 80 High strength reinforcing bars could
LRFD specifications and adds new ◦ ASTM A1035 Grade 100. be used for structures in non-seismic
references3–5 that underpin the changes: • The commentary to the Article zones and with some limitation
• The fourth paragraph of Article 5.4.3.3 (C5.4.3.3) will be revised as in moderate to high seismic zones.
5.4.3.1 will be revised as follows: follows: ACI 318-19, Article 20.2.1.3 specifies
Where ductility is to be assured or In 2004, ASTM published A1035/ additional requirements for ASTM
where welding is required, steel A1035M, “Standard Specification for A615 Grades 40, 60, 80, 100 rebar
conforming to the requirements of Deformed and Plain, Low-Carbon, and ASTM A706 Grades 60, 80, and
ASTM A706/A706M, “Standard Chromium, Steel Bars for Concrete 100 rebar. The requirements include
Specification for Deformed and Plain Reinforcement.” This reinforcement ratio of actual tensile strength to
Low-Alloy Steel Bars for Concrete has a yield strength equal to or actual yield strength, tensile properties,
Reinforcement,” shall be specified. greater than 100 ksi and offers the and elongations for use in design of
Reinforcement to be welded and potential for corrosion resistance. reinforced concrete elements. A number
the weld design and details shall be Material and column specimen of states have been using high strength
specified in the contract documents. tests conducted by Overby et al. bars, especially ASTM A706 Grade
Welding of steel reinforcement shall (2015), Barbosa et al. (2016), 80, in structural elements including
conform to the current edition of and Barcley and Kowalsky (2020) capacity-protected members, such as
the AWS D1.4 Structural Welding showed that ASTM A706 Grade drilled shafts, cap beams, etc. Over
Code—Steel Reinforcement Bars. 80 reinforcing steel has acceptable almost a decade, a large amount of
• Article 5.4.3.3 will be revised to read: elongation characteristics and may material test data for ASTM A615
Where permitted by specific articles be used in members containing Grade 80 and Grade 100 and
listed in Appendix D5, reinforcement plastic hinge regions to reduce ASTM A1035 Grade 100 bars has
with specified minimum yield steel reinforcement congestion. become available. The data showed
strengths of less than or equal to When Grade 60 reinforcing steel that steel rolling mills have been
100 ksi may be used for all elements along with the minimum specified manufacturing high strength bars that
and connections in Seismic Zone 1. material properties are used for meet the requirements of the material
The following ASTM designations designing members subjected to specifications for construction.

52 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

Reinforcement Detailing
and Bar Cut-Offs (Working
Agenda Item 208, COBS
Agenda Item 32)
This agenda item makes modifications
to six different parts of the AASHTO
LRFD specifications and adds a
reference.
• A new term will be added to the
Article 5.3.
LCLR = clear span between supports
(in.) (5.10.8.1.2a)
• The first paragraph in Article
5.10.8.1.2a will be revised to read:
Critical sections for development of
reinforcement in flexural members
shall be taken at points of maximum Figure 1. General flexural reinforcement termination requirements. Adapted from Fig.
stress and at points within the span C5.10.8.1.2a-1 of the forthcoming AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 10th
where bent or terminated tension edition.2
reinforcement is no longer required to
resist flexure. discuss the details of the remaining research-innovation-system-
• The items in the bullet list in Article agenda items approved by COBS in May information/documents/f0016541-
5.10.8.1.2a will be revised as follows: 2023. ca16-2563-finalreport.pdf.
◦ The effective depth of member, d,
4. Barbosa, A. R., T. Link, and D. Trejo.
◦ 15 times the nominal diameter of References 2016. “Seismic Performance of High-
bar, db, or
1. American Association of State Strength Steel RC Bridge Columns.”
◦ 1/20 of the clear span, LCLR.
Highway and Transpor tation Journal of Bridge Engineering 21 (2).
• Figure 1 will be added to the O f f i c i a l s ( A A S H TO ) . 2 0 2 0 .
beginning of Article C5.10.8.1.2a. 5. Barcley, L., and M. Kowalsky. 2020.
AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design
Note the extension of bars D in Figure “Seismic Performance of Circular
Specifications. 9th ed. Washington,
C5.10.8.1.2a-1 (Fig. 1) must also meet Concrete Columns Reinforced with
DC: AASHTO.
the requirements of Article 5.10.8.1.2b. High-Strength Steel.” Journal of
These provisions vary from those 2. AASHTO. Forthcoming. AASHTO Structural Engineering 146 (2).
in the American Concrete Institute’s LRFD Bridge Design Specifications.
6. American Concrete Institute
Building Code Requirements for 1 0 t h e d . Wa s h i n g t o n , D C :
(ACI) Committee 318. 2019.
Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19) AASHTO.
Building Code Requirements for
and Commentary (ACI 318R-19), 6
3. Overby D., M. Kowalsky, and Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19)
requiring a slightly greater bar diameter
R. Seracino. 2015. A706 Grade and Commentary (ACI 318R-19).
limit (15 instead of 12) and including
80 Reinforcement for Seismic Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
a ratio of the clear span. (ACI has no
Applications. Research Report
span requirement.) The reinforcement
No. R D - 1 5 - 1 5 . Sa c r a m e n t o ,
extension accounts for the possibility Dr. Oguzhan Bayrak is a chaired professor
CA: California Department of
of higher-than-anticipated moments at the University of Texas at Austin, where
Transportation. https://dot.ca.gov/-/ he serves as the director of the Concrete
due to live-load positioning, support
media/dot-media/programs/ Bridge Engineering Institute.
settlements, or other causes.
• The items in the bullet list in Article
5.10.8.1.2c will be revised as follows:
◦ The effective depth of member, d,
◦ 12 times the nominal diameter of
bar, db, or
◦ 1/16 of the clear span, LCLR.
• Figure 2 will be added to Article
C5.10.8.1.2c.
While no background on these changes
was provided in the ballot item, these
changes are intended to clarify for the
designer the bar cut-off requirements for
typical structures. Importantly, the newly
developed figures provide additional Figure 2. Negative-moment reinforcement termination requirements. Adapted from
clarity for the subject design provisions. Fig. C5.10.8.1.2c-1 of the forthcoming AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 10th
In upcoming issues of ASPIRE, I will edition.2

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 53

CONCRETE CONNECTIONS
Concrete Connections is an annotated list of websites where information is available about concrete bridges. Links and other
information are provided at www.aspirebridge.com.

IN THIS ISSUE
https://nationalconcretebridge.org h t t p s : / / w w w. s t r u c t u r a l t e c h n o l o g i e s . c o m / c a s e
The National Concrete Bridge Council (NCBC), along with its -studies/?f=transportation
supporting organizations, is offering a free six-part webinar The firm STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES is featured in the
series on concrete durability. Registration for upcoming Focus article on page 6. This is a link to a web page of its
webinars and recordings of previous presentations can be transportation case studies, which include projects such as the
accessed via this link. Recent collaborations and forthcoming fiber-reinforced-polymer applications for the rehabilitation of
publications from the NCBC are discussed in the Perspective the Indian Creek Village Bridge in Florida and post-tensioning
article on page 10. systems for the Kanawha Bridge in West Virginia.
https://highways.dot.gov/research/publications https://international.fhwa.dot.gov/programs/mrp
/infrastructure/FHWA-HRT-23-077 /electrically_isolated_tendons_webinar.cfm
The Perspective article on page 16 discusses the forthcoming The webinar recording available at this link was created
Guide Specifications for Structural Design with Ultra-High- as part of the FHWA’s global benchmarking study on
Performance Concrete (UHPC), which was adopted by the electrically isolated tendons for the nondestructive evaluation
American Association of State Highway and Transportation of post-tensioning (PT) systems. The presentation includes
Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Bridges and Structures information on the PT Installer Training Center, which was
at its May 2023 meeting. The guide specifications one of the inspirations for the PT Academy mentioned in the
are a culmination of the efforts of many individuals and Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute article on page 41.
organizations. This is a link to a download the 2023 Federal
https://tsp2bridge.pavementpreservation.org
Highway Administration (FHWA) report Structural Design
The Concrete Bridge Stewardship article on page 28 outlines
with Ultra-High Performance Concrete.
how the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)
https://highways.dot.gov/research/laboratories has used bridge-element condition data and automated
/saxton-transportation-operations-laboratory/Truck bridge management software to predict component
-Platooning deterioration and better plan for bridge preservation
The FHWA webpage at this link provides information, activities. A collaboration enabled by the AASHTO TSP-2
resources, and a video demonstration about truck platooning. Midwest Bridge Preservation Partnership played an important
The Perspective article on page 47 describes some of the part in developing WisDOT’s modeling and preservation
research and strategies that are being developed to properly strategies. This is a link to the AASHTO TSP-2 website, which
account for truck platoons in concrete bridge design. includes many resources for bridge preservation.

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 F H WA

FHWA Report Offers a Fresh

Look at Partial-Depth Precast
Concrete Deck Panels

by Romeo Garcia, Federal Highway Administration (retired)

Partial-depth precast concrete deck panels formance. Nevertheless, several states have been The AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifica-
(PDDPs) are relatively thin prestressed con- successfully using PDDPs for decades. Colorado, tions3 and PCI Bridge Design Manual 4 provide
crete panels that span between girders. When Missouri, and Texas use PDDPs for a large ma- guidance and requirements for pretensioning
combined with a cast-in-place (CIP) concrete jority of bridge construction projects. A few other force and minimum concrete strength at trans-
topping, they act compositely with the CIP con- states, such as New Hampshire, Tennessee, and fer fci′ that generally result in satisfactory per-
crete to provide the full structural thickness of a Utah, also have an established record of PDDP formance, according to the six states. However,
bridge deck. PDDPs can have many advantages, use. some states use a lower strand jacking force of
including faster and safer construction, which In 2022, FHWA released a state-of-the-prac- 0.63 fpu (where fpu is the ultimate strength of
makes them appropriate for accelerated bridge tice report titled Partial-Depth Precast Concrete prestressing steel) and limit the concrete com-
construction, as well as ease of design and im- Deck Panels.2 The objective of this report is to pressive stress at transfer to 0.19 fci′ to reduce
proved quality. encourage the use of PDDPs as a construction the risk of panel cracking.
PDDPs were first used in the United States in option. To help achieve that objective, the report The state of the practice for the six states also
the construction of bridges in the 1950s, includ- summarizes the state of the practice for PDDP includes providing minimum longitudinal distri-
ing a project for the Illinois Tollway in 1956. At design and construction based on a review of bution reinforcement (per Article 5.9.4.2 of the
least 25 state departments of transportation used standard practices of six states that are longtime AASHTO LRFD specifications) and splitting rein-
PDDPs over the subsequent decades, and at least and regular users of PDDPs. forcement at the panel ends to minimize cracking.
six states currently use them regularly. To ensure composite behavior between the
In 1987, the Federal Highway Administration State-of-the-Practice PDDPs and the CIP concrete, the state of the
(FHWA) published a memorandum on PDDPs Overview practice is to roughen the top surface of the
that addressed the issue of reflective cracking that In the FHWA report, the “state of the practice” PDDPs to a minimum amplitude of ⅛ in. The
had been observed in the CIP concrete topping refers to the practices generally used by the state six states have found that roughness pattern and
in some states.1 The FHWA memorandum transportation agencies of Colorado, Missouri, orientation are not important.
shows design, detailing, and construction New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, In the states’ experience, PDDPs can be used
techniques that had been successfully used by which are the most frequent users of PDDPs. with any type of steel or concrete girder.
state transportation agencies to construct bridge The following sections summarize the state of Figure 1 shows a CIP concrete deck that in-
decks with minimal to no reflective cracking. the practice of PDDP use in these six states. cludes only one mat of reinforcement in the CIP
The problems with cracking (in relatively few concrete topping, with the strands in the PDDPs
states) hindered the growth of PDDPs. Today, Design serving as the bottom mat of reinforcement. Fig-
some states use PDDPs in a limited manner, The six states typically use panel thicknesses ure 1 also illustrates options for supporting the
some have never used PDDPs, and others have ranging from 3 to 4 in., with ⅜- to ½-in.-diam- PDDPs. In some cases, a grout bed is installed to
used them but stopped after concerns with per- eter prestressing strands. support the ends of the PDDPs.
Figure 1. Example section of a bridge deck composed of partial-depth precast concrete deck panels with a cast-in-place reinforced
concrete topping. All Figures and Photos: Federal Highway Administration.

ASPIRE Winter 2024 | 55

 Fabrication and Handling
For fabrication, the states generally use PCI
MNL 116, Manual for Quality Control for
Plants and Production of Structural Precast Con-
crete Products.5 Similarly, for repairing PDDPs,
the state of the practice is to use PCI MNL
137, Manual for the Evaluation and Repair of
Precast, Prestressed Concrete Bridge Products,6 or
PCI Northeast’s Guidelines for Resolution of Non-
conformances in Precast Concrete Bridge Elements.7
PDDPs must be designed for handling, ship-
ping, and erection. The PCI Bridge Design Man-
ual 4 states that the locations of the lifting devices
should ensure that the panel concrete stresses re-
main within limits during handling. The lifting
devices must also be designed.
Panel Installation and Placement
of CIP Deck Concrete
To minimize the potential for cracking of the
CIP concrete deck, the panels should be in a
Precast concrete partial-depth deck panels stored at the fabricator’s facility. The
saturated surface-dry state at the time the CIP
panels must be designed for handling, storage, shipping, and erection, as well as the
concrete is placed. During CIP concrete place-
placement of the cast-in-place concrete topping and service conditions.
ment, it is important that the panel ends are
continuously supported with concrete or grout are being used in countries that have similar gineering, Regional Federal Highway
to minimize the potential for reflective cracking practices to the United States, such as Canada. Administrators, Regions 1–10. February
and ensure the deck’s long-term performance. In the United Kingdom, the typical panels are 27, 1987. Precast Concrete Deck Panels
quite different, being only 12 in. wide with a HNG-32 memorandum. Washington,
Emerging Concepts single lattice bar truss per panel in lieu of pre- DC: FHWA.
The FHWA report discusses several emerging stressing. In Spain and Australia, PDDPs are fab- 2. McDonagh, M., A. Foden, and A. Bey-
concepts and variations of typical PDDPs. This ricated for the full width of a bridge deck, with er. 2022. Partial-Depth Precast Concrete
includes the use of new materials such as ultra- lattice bar trusses extending above the panel with Deck Panels. Publication no. FHWA-
high-performance concrete and fiber-reinforced no prestressing. HIF-22-031. Washington, DC: FHWA.
polymer reinforcement. Additionally, the report h t t p s : / / w w w. f h w a . d o t . g ov / b r i d g e
discusses the use of the AASHTO empirical de- Perceived Barriers and /concrete/hif22031.pdf.
sign method for the CIP concrete portion of the Solutions to the Use of 3. American Association of State Highway
deck, along with the studies that have been per- PDDP Technology and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
formed and the states that allow it. The report addresses barriers to the use of 2020. AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design
PDDP technology as perceived by state trans- Specifications. 9th ed. Washington, DC:
International Practices portation agencies, including concerns about AASHTO.
The report also looks at PDDP practices in reflective cracking of the CIP concrete above 4. Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
countries other than the United States. PDDPs PDDPs, panel rejection due to cracking during (PCI). 2014. PCI Bridge Design Manual.
fabrication, and cost. Each concern is addressed 3rd ed. MNL 133-14. Chicago, IL: PCI.
Precast concrete partial-depth deck in detail along with the experiences of the states https://doi.org/10.15554/MNL-133-14.
panels after installation, but before that are regular users of PDDPs. 5. PCI. 2021. Manual for Quality Control
placement of cast-in-place concrete for Plants and Production of Structural
topping. Strategies to Effectively Precast Concrete Products. 5th ed. MNL
Deploy PDDP Technology 116-21. Chicago, IL: PCI. https://doi.org/
The report concludes with possible strategies to 10.15554/MNL-116-21.
deploy PDDPs. These strategies include develop- 6. PCI. 2006. Manual for the Evaluation and
ing standard specifications and details for PDDPs, Repair of Precast, Prestressed Concrete Bridge
ideally combined with a demonstration project. A Products. MNL 137-06. Chicago, IL: PCI.
flowchart depicting a suggested implementation https://doi.org/10.15554/MNL-137-06.
plan is also provided in the report. Sometimes, 7. PCI Northeast (PCINE). 2018. Guide-
in thinking about the future, we can find the an- lines for Resolution of Non-conformances in
swers in the past. PDDPs are a good example of Precast Concrete Bridge Elements. PCINE-
a past practice that can meet many present and 18-RNPCBE. Belmont: MA: PCINE.
future needs, with a little technical assistance. https://www.pci.org/PCI_Docs/PCI
_Northeast/Technical_Resources/Bridge
References /PCINE_Guidelines_for_Resolution
1. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) _of_Non-Conformances_in_Precast
Chief of Bridge Division-Office of En- _Concrete__Bridge_Elements_.pdf.

56 | ASPIRE Winter 2024

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