Continuously Reinforced Concrete on Bridges

As it is well known, in Belgium since the stast of the 1970s, continuously reinforced concrete has to a large extent been used as concrete pavement for motorways. On the bridges, asphalt was sometimes applied, which made it necessary to use expensive anchorages on both sides of the bridges to avoid expansion pressure of the CRCP. Not only because of savings but also to increase safety, an endeavour was made to use continuously reinforced concrete on bridges. This method was used in 1989, in particular on the E3 13 Antwerp - Liege motorway on three bridges on the Ham - Lummen stretch of the road. For this project, a number of special measures were adnpte.d such as: - doubling of the longitudinal reinforcement - double plastic sheet between the bridge surface and the continuously reinforced concrete - special finishing of the joints. Although problems with punch-out have occurred on this section, the part with the extra reinforcement on the bridge and over a distance of 50 to 100 m on either side of the bridges, no punch-out damage appears to have occurred after more than 8 years in service, in contrast to the other sections.