Benefits of Ultra-High Performance Concrete for the Rehabilitation of the Pulaski Skyway

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is currently being employed to facilitate the redecking of the four-lane, 3.5-mile long Pulaski Skyway. The $400 million project is part of a series of projects to completely rehabilitate this monumental structure, which was built in 1932 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Skyway carries about 70,000 vehicles per day and is a critical link in the Greater New York City transportation network.

Because of the critical nature of the Skyway to the region’s transportation, and the narrowness of the structure making it difficult to perform maintenance without impacting traffic, the New Jersey Department of Transportation wanted to ensure that the new bridge deck would have a service life of 75-years with little maintenance required during that time period. Consequently, plant-cast concrete deck panels with stainless steel reinforcing bars and field-cast UHPC panel closure joints was selected as the redecking system.

This paper will discuss the decisions made during the design of the Pulaski Skyway redecking project regarding the deck system that was chosen, and will present in detail the reasons behind the selection of UHPC for the project and the benefits that it provides to the project schedule, budget, and durability.