A polymer overlay can extend a bridge deck’s service life by making it more waterproof and resistant to chlorides. These treatments are also known to improve surface friction, increasing skid resistance and driver safety.
While polymer overlays have many advantages over traditional concrete overlays, they tend to cost more upfront. To better understand how the treatments compare in durability and cost-effectiveness, the Montana Department of Transportation installed polymer overlays on four of the state’s bridge decks and monitored the structures’ performance for several years.
Read the report: Evaluation of Thin Polymer Overlays for Bridge Decks, December 2023
Image source: Montana Department of Transportation