Performance Evaluation of Long-Span Suspension Bridge Pavement Based on Long-Term Maintenance Data

Abstract

Based on the long-term maintenance data, the performance and service lives of several orthotropic steel bridge deck (OSBD) pavement materials in long-span suspension bridges were studied and evaluated. According to the results, the pavement service life was found to have a strong relationship with traffic volume, so limiting overload of vehicles is an effective means to ensure the performance and prolong the pavement service life. Gussasphalt (GA) and ordinary road pavement asphalt mixtures cannot meet the requirement of OSBD pavement in suspension bridges, and cold-mixed resin-asphalt concretes are expensive and their application effects were not excellent enough. High-resilience polymer and rubber-modified asphalt concrete can be used as an alternative material in the maintenance of OSBD pavement because of their acceptable service life and proper cost. Epoxy asphalt concretes (EAC) were found to be the most successful materials in suspension bridge OSBD pavements. One kind of EAC, named Kindai Bridge Epoxy Pavement (KD-BEP), was confirmed to be more suitable for the maintenance of long-span suspension bridges’ OSBD pavement because of its simpler construction process, shorter curing period, and more stable quality.