Extending service life of high performance concrete bridge decks with internal curing

High performance concrete (HPC) bridge decks are prone to premature cracking if movement is restrained. Internal curing (IC) can reduce shrinkage cracking in concrete structures, thus improving their performance and service life. However, there is very limited information available in the literature on the possible extension of service life due to internal curing. This paper addresses this question by using predictive models to estimate the service lives of typical bridge decks made with concrete using internal curing as opposed to conventional curing. Four options are compared: (i) normal concrete deck; (ii) HPC deck; (iii) HPC deck with internal curing; and (iv) very high performance concrete deck with internal curing. It was found that the use of internal curing can increase the service life of HPC bridge decks by almost ten years, which is mainly due to due a slower penetration of chlorides as a result of reduced cracking.