Implementing Epoxy Injection in Concrete Overlaid Bridge Decks

Concrete overlays have proven to be an effective maintenance treatment as they slow de-icing chemical and water penetration into the original deck surface. Typically, due to vibration, structural flexibility, and weak bond between the concrete overlay and deck concrete potentially due to poor construction, de-bonding develops at the boundary between the original deck and overlay. This de-bonding creates voids, providing reservoir for chloride laden water to fill after it penetrates cracks in the surface. Displacing this liquid solution and filling these cracks with epoxy helps reduce freeze/thaw cycling and reduces spalling. The epoxy material protects the bridge deck from moisture and helps support the overlay and prevent it from failing under traffic loads. This leads to an extension of the asset life span and life cycle cost benefit increase. Overall, the bridge infrastructure performance improves significantly with greater mobility and less traffic interruptions due to repairs to bridges on our roadway infrastructures. Epoxy injection helps extends the service life of bridge decks and reduces the need for emergency bridge deck patching and as a result improves safety of road users. Epoxy injection has been added to INDOT’s Maintenance Work Performance Standards during the course of this study.