Deterioration of Bridge Deck Roadway Members. Part I: Site Investigations

Abstract

Bridge deck ancillary components such as surfacing, waterproofing, expansion joints, safety barriers, and drainage are important elements of highway bridges. These elements have an influence on either traffic safety and comfortability or the behaviour of the superstructures and substructures of a bridge. When they fail to function properly, the performance of bridges can be seriously affected. In this article deterioration and damages of deck components in highway bridges are analysed. The extent, causes and consequences of deterioration problems were investigated. A database analysis of field inspection results was performed. An investigation revealed that roadway members inevitably deteriorate over time at different rates. Illustrative examples of deteriorated roadway members are presented. The experience shows that lifetime of certain components is only about 5 to 7 years, sometimes less