Condition assessment of an ASR-affected overpass after nearly 50 years in service. (10th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sanchez, L.F.M.; Fournier, B.; Mitchell, D.; Bastien, J.
• Is Part Of: Construction & building materials. Volume 236(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03-10
• Subjects: Condition assessment -- Degradation -- Damage rating index -- Stiffness damage test -- Alkali-silica reaction; Building materials -- Periodicals; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117554
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-0618

Abstract

Highlights: The multi-level approach proposed is efficient to appraise damage infrastructure. Foundation blocks displayed the highest damage followed by bridge deck and columns. The higher the exposure level, the higher ASR-induced damage. Mechanical responses were affected by ASR, which raises doubts on structural safety. Major disagreement between visual and core analyses was verified. Abstract: RBC overpass was a highway bridge structure that was built using an alkali-silica reactive aggregate. Over nearly 5 decades, many signs of distress were developed on the various RBC structural members mainly due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In 2010/2011, RBC overpass was demolished and thus a number of cores from the various structural members were extracted, which enabled the condition assessment of the structure through a comprehensive multi-level protocol. This paper presents the outcomes obtained from the overall evaluation of RBC members. Results show that the damage degree of the distinct members vary according to the member's type and condition. Very high, high and moderate damage levels were found for the foundation blocks, bridge deck and columns of the structure, which indicates that RBC overpass was not in accordance with Canadian safety protocols by the time of its demolition and raises concerns regarding the structural implications of ASR-affected infrastructure.