Analysis of thermal stresses in internally sealed concrete bridge decks

A structural model was developed for use with a finite element program to predict thermal stresses which result from the application of heat to the concrete decks of highway bridges. The decks are heated to obtain an internally sealed concrete so as to better protect the reinforcement from deicer induced corrosion. Simple decks were first studied to determine the sensitivity of the solutions to various modeling assumptions. Two full scale bridge decks were also analyzed for which the temperature distributions are predefined on the basis of field data. The model will provide a helpful tool which will enable future field measurements to be planned more selectively. It will also provide insight on means for improving the heat treatment process so as to minimize cracking damage.