DIAGNOSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF DAMAGE IN CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS IN SAUDI ARABIA . PROCEEDINGS OF 3RD INTERNATIOAL CONFERENCE ON DETERIORATION AND REPAIR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE IN THE ARABIAN GULF, BAHRAIN, OCTOBER 21-24 1989. VOLUME 1.

A vast number of highways bridges have and are being constructed in the Arabian Peninsula. A seemingly large number of these bridge decks are showing some signs of early deterioration and cracking. Several reasons are believed to have interactively contributed to this phenomena; lack of proper and relevant design considerations, poor construction practices, marginal quality concrete constituents, lack of control over vehicular loads and the severe environmental conditions of the region. This paper reports on a systematic approach that has been successfully employed for the diagnosis of several defective bridge decks. The approach has been developed as part of a National Project to study the cracking phenomena of concrete bridge decks, it consists of a series of diagnostic steps that lead to the formation of a clear picture of the deck's state of distress. An actual case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.(A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 828897.