Economic and Fast-track Rehabilitation of Concrete Pavements and Bridge Decks

The last 10 years have seen considerable growth in the use of proprietary and special repair cements for concrete pavements in the state of Oklahoma. Many of these products lend themselves to "fast track" construction techniques that allow reopening to traffic within 12 hours or less. These products achieve high early strengths by accelerating the Portland cement hydration process for both Type I and Type III cements. In this paper, the important features of a durable repair which include strength, compatibility and bond or adhesion are first discussed. Then the development, testing and field implementation of the aforementioned materials are discussed including the learning curve required to implement a repair system, not just install a new material. Some of the materials discussed, while expensive on a cost per unit basis, hold great promise for economical use on fast track project.