United States Department of Transportation
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Improved Maintenance Methods for Bridge Drains and Expansion Joints
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2023-04-05
[PDF-5.73 MB]
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Edition:Final Report June 2020 – March 2023
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Abstract:Many bridges have drainage systems and expansion joints that are not typically found on mainline roadways. Standard mechanical sweepers are well-suited for mainline roadways and standard drains; however, these machines tend to push incompressible debris into bridge drains, which can easily lead to blocking of the drains and to subsequent flooding. In addition, this incompressible debris can get inside expansion joints and other bridge features, leading to reduced component life, rapid deterioration, and potential failures. Vehicle traffic also pushes incompressible debris into bridge drains. Due to a lack of known systems to effectively clean bridge debris, Caltrans Maintenance frequently has to resort to labor- intensive methods and, due to traffic exposure, potentially hazardous manual cleaning of bridge drains, scuppers, joints, and transition structures. Caltrans needs a viable system for cleaning incompressible debris from bridge decks, thus reducing or eliminating the entry of incompressible debris into bridge drains, scuppers, joints, and other features. This research had two primary goals. The first goal was to identify applicable and effective commercial designs and systems that can reduce or eliminate the problem of incompressible debris entering into bridge drains and joints. The second goal was to identify targeted cleaning equipment and develop new equipment concepts if none were available and resources permitted. This report documents the detailed research effort and results.
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