Development and Implementation of Precast Paving Notch System for Accelerated Bridge Repair

Differential approach pavement settlement and the resulting formation of ‘bumps' at the end of the bridge is a recurring problem for many State highway agencies. One of the main contributing factors in this settlement is deterioration or failure of the bridge paving notch. The conventional replacement procedure typically involves construction of a time-consuming, cast-in-place concrete paving notch followed by replacement of approach slab pavement. The objectives of this work were to develop a new, precast paving notch system and to verify and evaluate the structural capacity and implementation feasibility. The goal with rapid replacement would be a bridge approach slab support that can be installed in single-lane-widths to allow for staged construction under traffic during a single overnight closure. This paper presents a summary of the laboratory testing and field implementation of the precast paving notch system.