“A PRIMER ON LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE FOR BRIDGES”
Webinar: Held March 29th, 2023
Presented by: Reid Castrodale PhD W. PE
Hosted by ASBI and NCBC
This presentation introduces the Lightweight Concrete Bridge Design Primer that has been published by FHWA to provide a document with the basic information needed for designing and specifying lightweight concrete bridges and to address perceived obstacles. The document includes: 1) an introduction to the production and properties of lightweight aggregate and lightweight concrete; 2) an overview of the information needed for design, including a discussion of how to assess the relative cost of lightweight concrete; 3) a discussion of design provisions in the LRFD Specifications related to lightweight concrete, including recent revisions that have clarified design process and have improved the efficiency of designs using lightweight concrete; 4) information on specifying and field use of lightweight concrete; and 5) brief discussions of a range of bridge projects where lightweight concrete has been successfully used. The concept of using prewetted lightweight aggregate to deliver curing water to the interior of concrete elements, or “internal curing,” is briefly discussed. The Primer includes references to allow readers to obtain additional information when it is needed.
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