Full-Depth, Precast
Concrete Bridge
Deck Panel
Systems
Recommended guidelines will aid design engineers
BY SAMEH S. BADIE, MAHER K. TADROS, AND RACHEL M. MILLER USDAN
T ransportation officials continuously seek to minimize
traffic congestion and delays associated with new
construction or renovation. An innovation that shows
Panel to Panel
Connection Temporary
Adjusting Bolt
great promise toward that goal is the use of full-depth
precast concrete deck panel systems (Fig. 1). These Typical Panel
systems, comprising panels that are shipped to the site,
installed on in-place girders using medium capacity
cranes, and rapidly connected to each other and to the
Existing
girders through shear keys, eliminate the time and Girder
potential site disturbance associated with the construction
of formwork, placement of reinforcement, and placement
and curing of cast-in-place concrete.1 Access Pocket
for Anchorage
Although guidelines for full-depth, precast deck to Girder
systems can be found in many publications, some are not
widely available, others contain recommendations that Fig. 1: Schematic of a full-depth, precast concrete deck panel
system installed on existing steel bridge girders
are biased toward the policies and regulations of the
respective sponsoring party, and some contain information
that contradicts information in other publications. To
encourage the use of this innovation, the Transportation (NCHRP) Project 12-65,2 providing guidelines and
Research Board (TRB) recently published a summary of recommended modifications to the current AASHTO
the National Cooperative Highway Research Program LRFD Bridge Design Specifications.3 Selected items from
the guidelines are presented in this article. Complete
commentary and discussion can be found in Reference 4.
The NCHRP Project 12-65 guidelines for design, detailing,
construction, and handling of full-depth, precast deck GUIDELINES FROM NCHRP 12-65
panel systems are available with the online version The NCHRP 12-65 guidelines are applicable to new
of this article at www.concreteinternational.com. construction projects as well as deck replacement projects.
Concrete international / APRIL 2009 53
x1
Grout Tube Headed
and Pocket Studs
1in. 1in.
Girder web reinforcement
Seal with L-shaped end
x1 (a) Section x1-x1
x2
Fig. 2: On steel girders, deck panels are made composite with
the girder using grout pockets containing headed studs welded
to the top flange
Slab thickness Inverted U-shaped