Precast Concrete Deck-to-Girder Mechanical Connection for Accelerated Bridge Construction

■ Experimental results show 25% higher interface shear resistance results for the new mechanical connection than for the conventional connection. Full-depth precast concrete bridge deck systems have been increasingly used in new construction and as a replacement for deteriorating cast-in-place concrete decks because of their high quality, durability, and ease/ speed of construction. Full-depth precast concrete deck systems were originally used in the 1960s as noncomposite with the supporting girders, and their first use in composite construction was in 1973. Composite full-depth precast concrete deck systems provide economical design because they satisfy strength and serviceability requirements using smaller and shallower girder sections than are used in noncomposite systems. Precast concrete deck panels are usually made composite with the supporting girders via shear connectors, such as shear studs, bent bars, or threaded rods, projecting from the girder top flange and embedded in either discrete shear pockets or continuous longitudinal troughs (channels) in the deck panels. A summary of different deckto-girder connection details can be found in Tawadrous.