Connecticut is making multiyear, multimillion-dollar repairs to a key transportation asset while developing a multiyear, multimillion-dollar plan to completely replace that asset. To maintain the driving public’s safety until construction on a new interchange begins, Walsh Construction is using Rapid Set® DOT Cement to patch reinforced concrete bridge decks.
Patching isn’t glamorous, but it must be done before placing an overlay to protect the reinforced concrete deck directly underneath. Because time is of the essence for bridge repairs, Connecticut used concrete made with Rapid Set® DOT Cement dispensed via a mobile volumetric mixer to partial-depth patch two lanes in two days.
Work was performed in temperatures from 18° to 49° degrees Fahrenheit. Rapid Set® DOT Cement’s high early strengths allowed the concrete to be exposed to freezing temperatures that portland cement concrete typically can’t handle.
The fast-setting cement is on SCDOT’s list of qualified products because it meets all specifications. It includes air-entrainment where freeze-thaw cycles are prominent and a superplasticizer for better workability.
Time is of the essence when you’re rehabilitating infrastructure used by 40 million vehicles a year. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey chose two Rapid Set® products because they eliminated the need for admixtures as well as met a tight opening strength requirement.
Maintenance crews from the Missouri DOT’s Northeast District sprang into action when drivers reported a large hole in a bridge deck one winter morning. By using Rapid Set® DOT Cement to repair the damage, the state was able to reopen the bridge to traffic the same day.
The George Washington Bridge carries more than 106 million vehicles a year, making it the world’s busiest motor-vehicle bridge. The pothole-riddled north- and south-bound access ramps that connect the bridge to New York State Route 9A needed to be repaired. The Port Authority needed to reopen the busy ramps in a timely manner to not disrupt traffic patterns. Products used include Concrete Mix and DOT Cement.