ABSTRACT
In the severe Canadian winters, large quantities of salt are put on roads and bridges. The result is that the concrete deck slabs of highway bridges, when reinforced with steel, experience rapid deterioration because of corrosion of the steel. Highway bridges are usually designed for a life of 75 years, but deck slabs with steel reinforcement need to be replaced after about 25 years. Recently ISIS Canada has been studying the deterioration of concrete deck slabs with a view to comparing the life expectancy of slabs reinforced with GFRP with those reinforced with steel. In this study five conditions of slab are used, as follows:
C1 Excellent Condition; needs only routine maintenance. C2 Very Good Condition; some minor repair needed. C3 Fully Functional; needs moderate repair. C4 Barely Functional; needs large repair. C5 No Longer Functional; needs replacement.
