The purpose of this research was to identify types of surface treatments that effectively prevent the ingress of chloride ions into concrete bridgedecks and to investigate the properties of each type. A literature reviewand a nationwide questionnaire survey of 20 state departments of transportations were performed. The findings suggest that epoxy-based surface treatments should be specified for concrete bridge decks when both a chloridebarrier and improved skid resistance are desired. If a chloride barrier is all that is needed, silane surface treatments should be considered, as they are less expensive and easier to apply than epoxy treatments. Beforea surface treatment is applied to a bridge deck, the surface of the deck should be meticulously cleaned and repaired. Failure to adequately prepare the deck prior to treatment application dramatically increases the possibility that the treatment will fail prematurely. Because concrete decks with significant cracking are not ideal substrates for polymer applications, surface treatments should be applied as preventive measures early in theservice lives of bridge decks to effectively prevent chloride concentrations from reaching critical levels in the vicinity of the reinforcing steel.
Abstract