Detection of Subsurface Defects in Concrete Bridge Deck Joints

Problem statement: The integrity of deck joints in highway bridges plays a major role to determine overall performance of bridge system. As the bridge maintenance program, the defects in deck joints have historically been detected by conventional non-destructive testing and evaluation methods such as visual inspection, chain-dragging and by the detecting sounds under the traffic. Future bridge maintenance challenges will demand the development of techniques and procedures to detect and monitor such defects before they become apparent. Approach: Two non-destructive methods; namely Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) and Seismic Properties Analyzer (SPA) were employed to assess the integrity of deck joins installed in North Carolina bridges. Results: The results obtained with the GPR and SPA allows to quantify the subsurface defects in bridge deck joints. Conclusion: The practical application and limitations of each method are discussed in this study.