Deck Reinforcement Detailing and Concrete Mix Additives to Reduce Bridge Deck Cracking

Status:  Complete
Report Date:  07/30/2025

Summary:

Implementing strategies to reduce early-age cracking in bridge decks may lower costs over the service life of a bridge. For bridge deck installations, investigators adjusted the concrete mixture, regulated temperature differences between concrete and support girders, and reduced spacing between reinforcement bars to minimize this cracking. Results indicated that these strategies can mitigate early-age cracking and save taxpayer dollars.

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Related Research:

Project Personnel:

Principal Investigator:  Brock Hedegaard

Co-Principal Investigator:  Lauren Linderman, Eric Gibson

Technical Liaison:  Paul Gronvall

Project Coordinator:  Chad Kooistra

Panel Members: 
Ashley Jacobson - Metro District
Brian Homan - Bridges
Hussein Jaber - Bridges
Jacob Gave - Materials & Road Research
John Ekola - Hennepin County Public Works
Justin Conway - Houston County
Karl Johnson - Bridges