Mitigation of Cracking in Concrete Bridge Decks Using Twisted Steel Micro-Rebar

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of twisted steel micro-rebar (TSMR) fibers on the early cracking behavior of concrete bridge decks. The methodology for this research involved the evaluation of four newly constructed bridge decks, two that were constructed using conventional concrete and two that were constructed using TSMR. At bridge deck ages of 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years, the extent and severity of any deck surface cracking was documented in terms of crack lengths and widths, respectively. The data were used to create crack maps, and crack density was calculated for each bridge deck. Bridge decks containing TSMR exhibited notably reduced cracking when compared to the conventional decks. The bridge decks containing TSMR also exhibited the ability to limit the expansion of existing cracks. The significant decrease in the amount of cracks and reduced crack widths indicate that the TSMR fibers were successful in mitigating bridge deck cracking.