Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Fall 10-29-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

November 2025

Department

Ocean and Mechanical Engineering

College Granting Degree

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Francisco Presuel-Moreno

Abstract

Florida’s extensive coastline, dense network of bridges, and highly aggressive environmental conditions make corrosion a critical concern for the durability of bridges infrastructure. To minimize corrosion in bridge structures that use unbonded post-tension tendons, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is using flexible fillers as an alternative material to cementitious grout. This study evaluated the performance of five flexible fillers under sodium chloride (NaCl) exposure using NaCl solutions at concentrations of 10mM, 100mM and 1M over an 8-month period. Visual inspections revealed that filler composition and pre-existing cracks and voids in the filler samples significantly influenced degradation behavior. The samples containing only Sonneborn and Trenton fillers were among the last to exhibit visible changes, while samples containing only Civetea, or Civetea combined with a second filler, showed early signs of deterioration.

Additionally, samples with exposed steel strands (thin filler coating) tended to exhibit visible changes earlier, indicating that direct exposure of the steel surface significantly accelerates the initiation and progression of corrosion. These results emphasize that effective corrosion prevention relies not only on appropriate material selection (the choice of flexile filler) but also on proper sample preparation.

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