Zinc Oxide Leaching from Bridge Decks Raises Concerns for Corrosion
A bridge in Green Bay was built with a special deck made of concrete and steel. The deck developed some cracks after it was built, but they didn't get worse over time. A white substance was found under the deck, which turned out to be zinc oxide from the steel. This happened because salt from the roads got into the cracks and caused the steel to rust. Despite these issues, the bridge has been working fine. The cost of this special deck was similar to a different type of deck. It's suggested that this type of deck could be used again in the future, but the design should be improved to prevent cracking.