Concrete Testing on a Major Expressway | New York, USA
Services Applied by VCS Engineering
Project Description
As part of rehabilitation planning for a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, VCS Engineering supported durability evaluation efforts. Our team performed field sampling and laboratory assessments to assist the project team in understanding existing material conditions and informing rehabilitation strategies for the triple-cantilever structures in this corridor.
Project Issue
The structures along this section of the BQE required evaluation to support the development of an effective rehabilitation and service life extension plan, particularly due to concerns related to corrosion and reinforced concrete durability. To support this effort, the project team requested concrete core sampling and laboratory testing to better understand current material conditions and inform long-term rehabilitation planning.
Test methods included:
- ASTM C42 – Standard Test Method for Obtaining and Testing Drilled Cores and Sawed Beams of Concrete
- ASTM C457 – Standard Test Method for Microscopical Determination of Parameters of the Air-Void System in Hardened Concrete
- ASTM C469 – Standard Test Method for Static Modulus of Elasticity and Poisson’s Ratio of Concrete in Compression
- ASTM C642 – Standard Test Method for Density, Absorption, and Voids in Hardened Concrete
- ASTM C876 – Standard Test Method for Corrosion Potentials of Uncoated Reinforcing Steel in Concrete
- ASTM C1152 – Standard Test Method for Acid-Soluble Chloride in Mortar and Concrete
- ASTM C1218 – Standard Test Method for Water-Soluble Chloride in Mortar and Concrete
- ACI 364.14T-17 – Section Loss Determination of Damaged or Corroded Reinforcing Steel Bars
- ASTM A370 – Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
- ASTM C856 – Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
The project involved significant logistical coordination due to the BQE’s importance as a major transportation corridor. Most access could only occur during limited closure windows, often at night, which required efficient planning and execution. VCS deployed a skilled field team that completed the sampling scope safely, on schedule, and within budget.
Project Solution
VCS collected core samples along the structures and conducted laboratory testing including compressive strength, chloride concentration, and petrographic evaluation. The resulting data was provided to the project team to help them understand material conditions and support the development of appropriate rehabilitation strategies.
