Development of an optimal high-performance concrete mixture for Tennessee bridge decks

This paper describes a laboratory investigation of the development of an optimal high-performance concrete (HPC) mixture for Tennessee cast-in-place concrete bridge decks. Five types of concrete mixtures were developed by varying the quantity of fly ash, slag, and silica fume, while keeping the water-cementitious material ratio constant. Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Class D concrete was used as the control mix. Various parameters relevant to bridge deck performance were evaluated, including compressive strength, drying shrinkage, freeze-thaw durability, and chloride ion permeability. All four modified mixes exhibited higher compressive strength, lower drying shrinkage, and lower chloride ion permeability than the Class D control mix. Based on performance and potential economical savings, two of the modified mixes that contained fly ash and slag as cement replacements (HPC mixes FA and S) can be recommended as potential replacement for TDOT Class D concrete; however, mix FA is the most cost-effective.