Surface Protection (Waterproofing) of Segmental Concrete Bridges and Viaducts

As its name implies, a segmental bridge is a bridge built in short sections (called segments), i.e. one piece at a time, as opposed to traditional methods that build a bridge in very large sections. The bridge is made of concrete that is either cast-in-place (constructed fully in its final location) or precast concrete (built at another location and then transported to their final location for placement in the full structure).

These bridges are very economical for long spans (over 100 meters), especially when access to the construction site is restricted. They are also chosen for their aesthetic appeal.
History

– The first segmental concrete bridge, built in 1950, was cast-in-place across the Lahn River in Balduinstein, Germany.
– The first precast segmental concrete bridge, built in 1962, crossed the Seine River in France.
– The first U.S. precast segmental concrete bridge, built in 1973, in Corpus Christi, Texas.
– The first U.S. cast-in-place segmental bridge, built in 1974, was built near San Diego, California.
– The first U.S. precast segmental concrete arch bridge is the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge, completed in 1993.
From these beginnings, both precast and cast-in-place segmental concrete bridge construction have grown to become a major component of the bridge construction industry in nearly all parts of the world.