Rutgers University (CAIT) – BRP

Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT)

Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) has a long history of success in leading and managing large federally-funded, infrastructure-Related Projects such as the Federal Highway Administration’s Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program and a major NIST Technology Innovation Program, ANDERS (Automated Non-Destructive Evaluation and Rehabilitation System); two of the largest federal programs aimed at developing and packaging innovative technologies within the asset management industry.

CAIT’s objectives with the Bridge Resource Program (BRP)

The main objective of CAIT’s Bridge Resource Program (BRP) is to provide bridge engineering support to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)’s Bridge Engineering and Infrastructure Management Unit. While partnering with Federal and state transportation agencies, Rutgers University’s CAIT provides valuable support to address the most pressing bridge engineering and training challenges in New Jersey. The ultimate goal of the BRP is to improve asset management practices which include the implementation of next generation approaches to increase reliance on qualitative condition metrics with more quantitative performance metrics.

CAIT has engaged both industry and academia to provide innovative solutions and leading-edge technologies to support the development of bridge management system strategies and programs aimed at enhancing the state’s bridge inventory condition and optimizing available capital resources.

SIMCO’s contribution is a complementary effort to CAIT’s BRP

In the context of this program, SIMCO’s contribution was designed as a complementary effort to CAIT’s global approach to provide material engineering support and to address the most important issues affecting concrete bridge infrastructure in New Jersey, particularly in field investigations, durability evaluation, monitoring and asset management.

SIMCO’s scope of work in this project was to conduct a comprehensive investigation program regarding the cracking observed on a series of high-performance concrete (HPC) bridge decks in New Jersey; compare the costs and benefits of using HPC; determine the causes of early-age cracking of HPC bridge decks; and evaluate the impact of early-age cracking on the long-term performance of decks sealed with MMA.

Phase I Results

Ultimately, once the causes of the early-age cracking were identified, SIMCO was able to recommend the most cost-effective solutions to avoid future premature cracking and provide potential options in order to extend the service life of the bridge deck.