TECHBRIEF High Performance Concrete

Bridge Deck Investigation

FHWA Publication No. of this TechBrief: FHWA-HRT-09-070 

FHWA Contact: Ben Graybeal, HRDI-06, 202-493-3122, 

benjamin.graybeal@dot.gov 

This document is a technical summary of the unpublished 

Federal Highway Administration report, High Performance 

Concrete Bridge Deck Investigation, available only through 

the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

NTIS Accession No. of the report covered in this TechBrief: 

PB2009-115497

Objective

This TechBrief provides a summary of an investigation that 

assessed the performance of high performance concrete 

(HPC) bridge decks. 

HPC

HPC is a concrete designed to meet a performance specification. Many definitions of HPC have been proposed over 

the past 15–20 years; one to note is the definition proposed 

by Goodspeed and later expanded by Russell and Ozyildirim 

that offers a series of strength and durability-related performance characteristics.(1,2) It recommends that the desired 

performance of the concrete should be considered and 

that the performance characteristics should then be set 

accordingly. Example performance characteristics toward 

which concrete properties may be focused include chloride 

penetration, shrinkage, compressive strength, and freeze/

thaw deterioration resistance.

Background

In 1993, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated 

a national program to implement the use of HPC in bridges. 

The program included the construction of demonstration 

bridges throughout the United States.

As a result, State transportation departments started implementing HPC in their bridges. The construction of these 

Research, Development, and 

Technology

Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean, VA 22101-2296

www.tfhrc.gov
2

bridges has provided researchers with a large 

amount of data on the use of HPC.

Information about the 18 bridges included in 

the FHWA program in addition to one bridge 

in Louisiana was compiled and reported.(3,4) A 

compact disc (CD) containing the compilation 

was prepared. The CD contained photographs 

and cross sectional drawings of the bridges, 

as well as details about the materials and 

methods used in construction. Elevation 

photos of two of these bridges are shown in 

figure 1 and figure 2.

Investigation Process

After the bridges were in service for several 

years, the decks were assessed, and their 

performance was evaluated relative to the 

compiled data. The investigations into the 

performance of the decks included four 

specific tasks. First, all relevant information 

pertaining to the construction of the bridge 

deck was collected. This included items 

such as concrete mix design, construction 

practices during and after concrete placement, average daily traffic on the bridge, and 

maintenance performed. Second, each deck 

was inspected. This task included standard 

visual inspection practices, as well as the 

completion of a detailed crack assessment. 

Concrete cores were also acquired from 

select locations. Next, the collected information was evaluated to assess the 

performance of the decks. Last, the results 

were documented in individual reports 

pertaining to each deck. These individual 

reports can be found in the appendix of the 

corresponding main report. The 19 bridge 

decks investigated are listed in table 1. 

Figure 2. Highway 199 over Uphapee Creek Bridge in Macon County, AL.

Figure 1. Charenton Canal Bridge.
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Results

This investigation demonstrated that HPC 

bridge decks can be constructed to perform 

well, and they exhibit relatively few cracks 

after multiple years of service. The investigation did not identify any significant spalling 

or delamination in any of the decks. 

Recommendations

From the data obtained from this study, 

recommendations on basic concrete mix 

design parameters have been proposed. 

Less cracking is anticipated to occur in 

concrete bridge decks constructed with waterto-cementitious material ratios between 0.35 

and 0.40 and cementitious material content between 600 and 700 lb/yd3

 (356 and 

415 kg/m3

). Mixes meeting these recommendations are anticipated to possess low to 

moderate ranges of rapid chloride permeability. Application of appropriate construction 

practices is also recommended.

Table 1. Bridge decks investigated in this study.

State Bridge Name Location

Alabama Highway 199 Highway 199 over Uphapee Creek in Macon County

Colorado Yale Avenue I-25 over Yale Avenue in Denver

Georgia SR 920 SR 920 (Jonesboro Rd) over I-75

Louisiana Charenton Canal LA 87 over Charenton Canal in St. Mary Parish

Nebraska 120th Street 120th Street and Giles Road Bridge in Sarpy County

New Hampshire Route 104 Route 104 over Newfound River in Bristol

New Hampshire Route 3A Route 3A over Newfound River in Bristol

New Mexico Rio Puerco I-40 Westbound Frontage Road over the Rio Puerco

North Carolina U.S. 401 Northbound U.S. 401 over Neuse River in Wake County

Ohio U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 22 over Crooked Creek near Cambridge

South Dakota I-29 North I-29 Northbound over Railroad in Minnehana County

South Dakota I-29 South I-29 Southbound over Railroad in Minnehana County

Tennessee Porter Road Porter Road over State Route 840 in Dickson County

Tennessee Hickman Road Hickman Road over State Route 840 in Dickson County

Texas Louetta Road Louetta Road Overpass, SH 249 in Houston

Texas San Angelo

U.S. Route 67 over North Conch River, U.S. Route 87, and 

South Orient Railroad in San Angelo

Virginia Route 40 Route 40 over Falling River in Brookneal

Virginia Virginia Avenue Virginia Avenue over Clinch River in Richlands

Washington State Route 18 Eastbound lanes of SR 18 over SR 516
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Researchers—The technical contract oversight was provided by Ben Graybeal who is the 

Structural Concrete Research Program Manager at the Federal Highway Administration’s 

(FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Additional information can be obtained 

by contacting him at 202-493-3122 or in the FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research and 

Development located at 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA, 22101.

Distribution—The unpublished report (PB2009-115497) covered in this TechBrief is being 

distributed through the National Technical Information Service, www.ntis.gov.

Availability—The report will be available in November 2009, and it can be obtained from 

the National Technical Information Service, www.ntis.gov.

Key Words—Bridge, Cast-in-place concrete, Cementitious material content, Crack density, 

Deck, Durability, High-performance concrete, HPC, Precast concrete, Prestressed concrete, 

and Water-to-cementitious material ratio.

Notice—This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. The U.S. Government does 

not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names appear in this 

TechBrief only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement—The Federal Highway Administration provides highquality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes 

public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, 

objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues 

and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

october 2009 FHWA-HRT-09-070

HRDI-06/10-09(200)E

References

1. Goodspeed, C.H., Vaniker, S., and Cook, 

R.A. (1996). “High-Performance Concrete 

Defined for Highway Structures,” Concrete 

International, 18(2), 62–67.

2. Russell, H.G. and Ozyildirim, H.C. (2006). 

“Revising High-Performance Concrete 

Classifications,” Concrete International, 

144, 43–49.

3. Russell, H.G., Miller, R.A., Ozyildirim, 

H.C., and Tadros, M.K. (2006). Compilation 

and Evaluation of Results from HighPerformance Concrete Bridge Projects, 

Volume I: Final Report, FHWA-HRT-05-056, 

178, Federal Highway Administration, 

McLean, VA.

4. Russell, H.G., Miller, R.A., Ozyildirim, 

H.C., and Tadros, M.K. (2006). Compilation 

and Evaluation of Results from HighPerformance Concrete Bridge Projects, 

Volume II: Appendixes, FHWA-HRT-05-057, 

303, Federal Highway Administration, 

McLean, VA.