The assessment of reinforcing steel corrosion in the south section of the Dickson bridge /

Bridges and highway structures designed and constructed without sufficient concern about durability are particularly vulnerable to early deterioration. To better understand the degradation mechanisms of chloride-induced corrosion, existing corroded structures need to be studied. The decommissioned Dickson bridge, built in 1959 in the eastern part of Montreal in Canada, provided an invaluable opportunity to assess the cause(s) of deterioration of a reinforced concrete bridge structure. The cause of premature deterioration was primarily the development of extensive chloride-induced corrosion of the steel reinforcement.McGill University, in collaboration with some industrial partners, and the Centre des Etudes et Recherche en Infrastructure Urbaine (CERIU) undertook a joint research program between 1997 and 1999. Intensive testing of the bridge deck confirmed the causes of deterioration and allowed for the validation and calibration of several testing techniques developed to determine the causes and the extent of the action of various processes related to durability of reinforced concrete structures. (Abstract shortened by UMI.