Ground-penetrating radar for network-level concrete deck repair management

The lack of an effective bridge deck condition assessment tool prompted a c ollaborative research program between Dalhousie University DalTech and the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works to assess the acc uracy and variability of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for asphalt-covered , reinforced-concrete bridge deck deterioration estimates. The quantity and location of GPR-predicted deterioration on nine bridge decks was compared to actual deterioration detected using the half-cell potential and chain dr ag survey methods. Good spatial correlation and excellent quantitative corr elation were observed between the GPR predictions and the actual deteriorat ion found on the nine decks. These findings have demonstrated that GPR can provide management with a valuable tool for estimating deck repair quantiti es and prioritization of potential repair candidates on a network level.