This document was prepared under the auspices of the AASHTO-AGC-ARTBA Joint Committee by Task Force 29 of the Subcommittee on New Highway Materials. The goal of the Task Force was to delineate concise guidelines that can be used by highway agencies as standard specifications for Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks.

The intent of this publication is to define standard specifications applicable to the nation's bridges, although certain bridges that do not match the standard would be subject to special study and design. The standard bridge deck is defined as a reinforced, double mat rebar with a 6- to 9-inch slab. Cost containment is a goal. Standardization is expected to permit contractors to install these systems efficiently, thus providing an economical system to the bridge owner.

Cathodic protection (CP) is the only known means of mitigating the corrosion of reinforcing steel, which is caused by the presence of the chloride ion in existing bridge decks. The routine use of CP for the protection of pipelines and underground structures prompted the development of new technologies that would allow the successful application and operation of CP on bridge decks. The first installation of an impressed current CP system on a bridge deck took place in California in 1973. It utilized high silicon cast iron anodes affixed to the deck and covered with a 2-inch lift of conductive cokebreeze asphalt topped with a 2-inch wearing course of asphaltic concrete. Since that pioneering effort, the field of cathodic protection for reinforced concrete bridge decks has matured into a proven technology with several available design options. Since 1982, the FHWA has promoted the widespread implementation of CP as a rehabilitation technique for bridge decks. Today it should be considered as a value-engineering alternative in the rehabilitation of salt-contaminated bridge decks.

As with any new technology, the advancement of the state of the art in bridge deck CP involves the cooperative interaction of Federal and State government agencies with researchers, contractors, and private industry. The intensive research and product development by private industry has led to a new generation of anodes and a substantial reduction in the cost of materials and installation. The success of any technology, however, mustbe judged by successful performance under field conditions. The satisfactory operation of over 350 CP systems in 42 States in the U.S. and 8 provinces in Canada offers suitable testimony to the viability of CP.

The Task Force No. 29 document was submitted to the AASHTO Committee for "Construction and Maintenance " for approval in June 1994. Approval was granted in November 1994. Copies are available through AASHTO.

Showcase workshops on methodologies for reinforced concrete removal, repair, protection and rehabilitation.

Published in 1995 and distributed by AASHTO: Guide Specifications for Cathodic Protection of Concrete Bridge Decks, AASHTO-AGC-ARTBA, Task Force #29.

Published in 1992 and distributed by AASHTO: Manual for Corrosion Protection of Concrete Components in Bridges, AASHTO-AGC-ARTBA, Subcommittee on New Materials, Task Force #32.

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