Distress Surveys of Pavement Panel and Bridge Deck Areas Repaired Using Rapid-Setting Concrete Batched in a Volumetric Concrete Mixer

Repairs of concrete pavement panels and bridge decks in Utah are commonly performed using rapid-setting concrete to expedite the concrete curing process and thereby minimize the impacts of lane closures on traffic. The objective of this research was to perform distress surveys of several pavement panel and bridge deck areas repaired using rapid-setting concrete to evaluate the apparent durability of in-service repairs. The scope of work included documenting the occurrence of cracking, scaling, spalling, delamination, and construction issues at each of six sites in northern Utah, where rapid-setting concrete placements batched using volumetric concrete mixers had been in service for 4 to 5 years at the time of inspection. The results of the distress surveys indicate that, for the rapid-setting concrete repairs evaluated in this study, cracking and scaling were observed to be the most prevalent and extensive distresses. Therefore, improvements in the durability of the rapid-setting concrete are needed to especially address cracking and scaling. Aspects of both mixture design and construction should be considered to reduce the occurrence of damage and extend the service life of rapid-setting concrete repairs in cold regions.