Concrete barriers play an essential role in highway safety.
However, they are the components of a bridge most exposed to environmental assaults by agents such as de-icing chemicals. Chloride ions penetrate the concrete and attack conventional steel rebars which corrode, causing the barrier to deteriorate. Hence, the barriers must regularly be repaired or replaced at considerable expense and disruption of traffic. The objective of this project is to develop a barrier with a longer service life than that which is currently in use by incorporating a composite material which resists chloride ions better. This page is also available in 97 for Windows format.