Rationally Designed Staged Posttensioning to Abate Reflective Cracking on Side-by-Side Box-Beam Bridge Decks

Side-by-side box-beam bridges are often used at sites with tight under-clearance requirements and specified for accelerated construction. However, longitudinal reflective deck cracking is a recurring problem for these bridges and it raises concern for their durability and long-term safety. North American practices of the transverse connection design of this particular bridge are discussed in NCHRP Synthesis 393, and the Michigan design is presented as the preferred procedure. The most recent design in Michigan is an empirical procedure that incorporates the majority of the Synthesis 393 recommended best practices. Yet reflective deck cracking persists. A rational design procedure for which an analysis model was developed is presented here. In the rational design procedure, the analysis model is utilized to calculate the moment demand along the transverse joints. A two-stage transverse posttensioning procedure is recommended following AASHTO load and resistance factor design stipulations based on the moment demand calculated from the analysis model. The second stage of posttensioning precompresses the cast-in-place concrete deck, ensuring crack control. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the two-stage posttensioning design and implementation procedure to mitigate reflective deck cracking. The effectiveness of the recommended design is demonstrated by utilizing a multistep finite element simulation of the construction process under construction and service loads. The cracking potential of the deck is evaluated under both current Michigan Department of Transportation and the proposed two-stage transverse posttensioning schemes. It is demonstrated that the two-stage posttensioning process can eliminate tensile stresses developed under gravity loading and reduce the temperature load effects to abate reflective deck cracking.