Published: 2026-06-22

Selected aspects of strengthening orthotropic steel decks in steel bridges with UHPC thin-overlay technology

Monika Napieraj , Eduard Konopka , Piotr Górski

Abstract

The article presents a review of current achievements and selected results of material research in the field of strengthening orthotropic steel decks in steel bridges using a thin Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) overlay to increase their load-bearing capacity and fatigue life. The review study confirmed a 40% to 80% reduction in stresses in the bridge deck structure. The authors’ experimental research focused on 70 mm thick UHPC overlays on two existing bridges with spans of 41 m and 292 m. It includes an assessment of the effect of the void content in the fresh concrete mix on the bulk density of hardened concrete, the increase in concrete strength over time, the effect of the number of freezing cycles on the Young's modulus of concrete and the strength of the UHPC-steel
deck slab bond including the static slab deflections. The deflection of the bridge deck slab with the UHPC overlay in the three-point bending test was decreased by half, while the limit load values breaking the UHPC-steel bond zone using epoxy resin in the test plates were 150 kN and 162 kN. The presented results have important cognitive significance because they concern the tests of the UHPC overlay made on existing bridge structures.

Keywords:

bonding efficiency, orthotropic steel deck, steel bridge, strengthening, UHPC layer

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Napieraj, M., Konopka, E., & Górski, P. (2026). Selected aspects of strengthening orthotropic steel decks in steel bridges with UHPC thin-overlay technology. Roads and Bridges – Drogi I Mosty, 25(2), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.7409/rabdim.026.008

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