Interstate 80 Bridge Deck Repairs

A truly innovative approach
Q&D’s patented polymer overlay machine and our experienced, specialized paving crew strengthen bridges in record time. NDOT has identified failed asphalt, spalling and delamination in multiple bridges in Nevada. Q&D’s work on this project, similar to other projects on which the polymer paver has been deployed, included removing and replacing the bridge deck approach slab wearing surfaces with new polymer concrete overlay at six bridges along Interstate 80 in the Reno/Sparks area.

Improved performance and productivity
Polymer application methods vary, from machine mixing and placement with wheelbarrows, to full volumetric trucks (mixing trucks) equipped with polymer injectors. Q&D built a completely new piece of equipment to mix, place and screed the overlay in a single-pass, which has increased capacity and created a cost-competitive way to place polymer overlay.

Production rates for polymer application quadrupled and what used to take four nights now takes only one. This invention has increased our ability to serve customers that require overlays and greatly reduced the cost involved in completing this important restoration work.

How it’s done
Polymer overlays are a mixture of aggregates and a fast-curing resin that are placed and screeded over milled and treated roadway. They are used to rehabilitate, waterproof and protect existing, worn bridge deck surfaces. Overlays are lightweight, need little cure time, and are easy to integrate into existing road systems.

The rehabilitation of existing elevated road and bridge deck surfaces is usually done at night, when traffic is at a minimum. Structures identified for this treatment are high-traffic, high-use paths of travel that are critical to regional transportation. The traditional method for polymer rehabilitation of a section of roadway might take as many as four days – removal, repair of delaminations in the underlying surface, placement of the 2-inch polymer overlay and curing time. The time and manpower involved in doing the work in this manner makes it very expensive and makes the bid process less competitive and ultimately the Owner pays for the added cost.