| Latex modified concrete deck overlay systems are used nationwide. However, cracking, spalling and delamination have been observed both in the case of old and new bridge deck construction. Such problems have also been observed even before a newly constructed bridge deck has been opened to traffic.; In this investigation, the effect of reinforcing Latex Modified Concrete (LMC) with carbon fibers is examined. The study focuses on formulation of the mix design and laboratory test methods to evaluate the potential of using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Latex Modified Concrete (CFLMC) for bridge deck overlays. A tension test method of concrete was perfected during the course of this research.; At a low volume fraction of 0.15% (ratio of the volume of carbon fibers to the volume of concrete), CFLMC showed an average increase of 26% in strain to failure compared to LMC, in a direct tension test. Besides an average 17% increase in ultimate flexural strength, the stress strain curves also show an average increase of 43% in failure strain under flexure. Improvements in strain to failure or ductility have the potential to reduce cracking in overlays. Fracture tests predict the fracture toughness of CFLMC to have an average improvement of 27%, compared to LMC. |
