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(bright music)

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- [Narrator] Rapid-setting
hydraulic cement is being studied

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to determine if it can
be used as a solution

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for structures in Texas.

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This is very important

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in components related
to bridges and decks.

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Researchers from the Texas
Department of Transportation

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and Texas State University perform tests

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on various rapid cements,

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identifying its durability and performance

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to develop guidelines for implementation

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on decks and bridge structures.

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- So there are some specialty cements

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called rapid-setting cements

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that gain strength within hours,

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so we're talking 3,000 PSI in three hours.

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So imagine if you pour a column,

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and you're waiting seven
days to do something,

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versus I pour it today,

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tomorrow, I could strip forms
and start a new process.

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So the idea was how can we
utilize these specialty cements

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and more of the cast-in-place operations

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and then bring in the
precast bridge elements

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to speed up the entire project as well.

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- So we did both lab and field work,

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and by field work, mostly
what I mean by field work,

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we essentially did a
lot of concrete samples

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that we exposed to real-world conditions,

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not necessarily actual bridge structures

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or going to actual job sites,

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but we essentially exposed 'em outside

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in the San Marcos, Texas environment.

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We did a lot of tests
in terms of performance,

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specifically for durability,

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and a lot of durability tests
that are available today

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that are standardized, are really intended

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for the traditional Portland
cement binder system.

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- Some of the durability
concerns were an issue.

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And so through this project,

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we learned that yes, that is a concern,

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and so we need to be careful
of where we use these

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in certain applications.

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And so, I think the durability,
it's still new to us,

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and so we need to continue learning.

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And so this project really
highlighted those aspects

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of what we need to continue to research.

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- The biggest benefit from this research

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to the driving public, specifically,

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is that I think we've been
able to really give TxDOT

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another tool in their toolbox.

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So, while we still need,
I think, more information,

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more data to really be confident

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about where these materials can be used,

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there's definitely viable
applications for them.

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And being that they have
these unique capabilities

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and unique characteristics,
so they have the ability

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to generate strength much more quicker,

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essentially turn around the
construction over much faster,

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and the driver, obviously,
they're very happy

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about when they can turn around

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construction projects much faster.

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- Our next step is to do some
more long-term monitoring

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of those durability specimens

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that were fabricated during
the research project.

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So, they made concrete.

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They'll set 'em in certain environments,

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and then we'll monitor 'em
and continue that work,

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so we want to get,
again, try to extrapolate

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some longer durability,
longer time periods

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out this information or out those samples

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so that way we can make
better decisions of,

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well, maybe these aren't
good for a marine environment

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or an area where deicing
sauce will be used,

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but maybe central Texas or
something down in the valley

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where we're not a very
aggressive environment.

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Maybe those would be the
regions we would use these,

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but some of these other locations,

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we probably won't go there.

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So, learning those durability performances

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of these materials would
help us make those decisions.

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So I don't think we're quite
yet on the implementation.

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We still have a little
bit more knowledge to gain

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on some of those durability aspects.

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- [Narrator] For more information

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and to find the publication
for this project,

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please visit the TxDOT Research Library

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at the link shown below.