22-01 — Recent Leading Innovations in the Design, Construction and Materials Used for Concrete Bridge Decks

Original Scope: Deterioration of concrete bridge decks due to corrosion of steel reinforcement is a long-known cause of limited-service life and increased maintenance costs of bridge structures. To address these issues bridge owners have implemented a variety of strategies such as the use of fiber-reinforced concrete, performance-based concrete mixes, FRP composite reinforcement, modified curing regiments, deck sealers, shrinkage reduce admixtures, partial or full precast decks, and prestressed concrete. Agencies are anxious to identify appropriate strategies based on environmental variables and service demands that will extend the service life and save significant costs by reducing the rate of concrete deck deterioration, thereby delaying costly major rehabilitation and replacement activities caused by corrosion.

This scan will identify lessons learned from construction of bridge deck projects that utilize innovative materials and strategies. The information collected will allow States to consider future approaches to design bridge decks to provide better durability and service life for the decks of their structures.  

Implementation and Impact

Following a scan workshop in February 2023, the scan team worked at the state, regional, and national levels to advance scan findings. Highlights of these activities include:

At the state and regional levels, scan findings and/or the final report were shared at the Southeast Region Bridge Preservation Conference, with TxDOT Bridge Division staff and District staff, Midwest Bridge Preservation Partnership group, Bridge Preservation Midwest Region group, MnDOT staff engineers and at a Southeast multi-DOT and university meeting,

At the national/international levels, the scan team presented the scan outcomes to the TRB Committee on Concrete Bridges, Alternative Reinforcement and Prestressing for Structural Concrete Workshop at the 2023 TRB Annual Meeting, AASHTO Committee on Bridges & Structures, Technical Committee on Construction, AASHTO TSP2 National Bridge Deck Preservation Working Group, FHWA Bridge Preservation Expert Task Group, FHWA Bridge Construction Practices Peer Exchange, AASHTO Concrete Committee meeting, International Bridge Conference, Infrastructure Advancement Institute Summit, and at a National Bridge Preservation Partnership meeting.

The Concrete Bridge Engineering Institute (CBEI) at the University of Texas held its first three-day Bridge Deck Construction Inspection Program in July 2025 with 20 participants. This program highlights several scan recommendations and implementation activities such as training and certification, national dissemination opportunities, training materials, and the importance of partnerships. Future training courses are planned for 2025 and 2026.

In April 2025, TRB hosted a webinar based on the outcomes of this scan titled, Innovations in Concrete Bridge Deck Design, Construction, and Materials. The webinar explored innovative practices being implemented across the U.S. to enhance bridge deck durability and serviceability. Presenters discussed strategies to mitigate concrete deck deterioration caused by steel reinforcement corrosion, and share insights on materials, design techniques, and construction methods that improve longevity.

Scan chair, Donn Digamon, provided perspectives on the scan outcomes:

Workshop Participants

• Caltrans
• Florida DOT
• Iowa County Engineer’s Assoc Service Bureau
• Kansas DOT
• Michigan DOT
• New York State DOT
• Oklahoma DOT
• Pennsylvania DOT
• Texas DOT
• Utah DOT
• Virginia DOT
• Washington State DOT

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