Performance of bridge deck link slabs designed with ductile engineered cementitious composite

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on the monotonic and fatigue behavior of a link slab designed for a durable concrete bridge deck system. The requirements on the link slab in terms of material properties, dimensions, and reinforcement detailing are considered. Special focus is placed on the deflection capacity, of the link slab and its fatigue performance. This paper discusses the choice of a fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composite (ECC) material based on the performance requirements of link slabs in the context Of an integrated structure-material design scheme. Experimental results of monotonic and subsequent cyclic tests of full-scale ECC link slabs are compared with those of an ordinary reinforced concrete link slab. The mode of deformation will be discussed with particular emphasis on the development of crack widths, which is important for durability against steel reinforcement corrosion. The significant enhancements of deflection capacity and crack width control in ECC link slabs suggest that the use of ECC material can be effective in extending the service life of repaired bridge deck systems.