Dams and Bridges

Bridge approach slabs are deteriorating at a much faster rate than expected resulting in a massive need for repairs and premature replacement costing millions of dollars annually. Both environmental and traffic loading causes the concrete to worsen which accelerates the deterioration process by allowing deleterious agents to enter the concrete. In order to enhance the service life of bridge approach slabs the material needs to comply with certain performance criteria such as crack resistance due to mechanical and environmental conditions, durability enhancement and post crack flexural stiffness.

Fiber reinforced concrete provides more resistant to shrinkage cracking, and also increases flexural toughness, particularly under high strain rate or impact loading. FRC leads improved performance in regards to both freeze/thaw resistance and scaling resistance.

The crack resistance provided by the fibers can influence the corrosion initiation behavior of embedded rebar in beam elements cracked by flexural loading. Crack resistance can also reduce corrosion rates late in the life of the element when corrosion pressures at the rebar/matrix interface are significant enough to induce cracking and bond loss.