Deterioration of Concrete Bridge Decks Containing Epoxy-Coated and Uncoated Reinforcement

Bridge decks were constructed in Minnesota from 1973 to 1989 with mixed reinforcement, meaning a top mat of epoxy-coated reinforcement and a bottom mat of uncoated reinforcement, to reduce corrosion. This paper investigated how the deterioration of concrete decks built with mixed reinforcement compared to control structures containing all epoxy-coated reinforcement using rating data from inspection reports. The results were subdivided to indicate how the superstructure type, average daily traffic, route type, wearing surface crack density, and skew affected the condition ratings and deterioration. The mixed reinforcement decks reached worse condition states than the control structures considering the underside of the deck. Mixed reinforcement decks transitioned to the condition state where rehabilitation is often initiated after remaining in the prior condition state for 8.5 years. Bridges with a steel superstructure reached worse condition state ratings. Average daily traffic, route type, wearing surface crack density, and skew did not have consistent behavior considering deck ratings and deterioration.