System and method for making a deck of a bridge or other construction

Abstract

A bridge or other construction comprising a deck, in which the deck is designed to be lightweight and durable, such as by including aluminum, and readily installable on a main bearing structure of the bridge or other construction (e.g., without welding and/or without drilling or otherwise creating holes into the main bearing structure of the bridge or other construction), even if the main bearing structure of the bridge or other construction is based on different material (e.g., steel).

1 . A system for making a deck of a bridge, the system comprising:
 a plurality of aluminum deck members; and   a fastening assembly configured to fasten the aluminum deck members to a main bearing structure of the bridge such that the aluminum deck members are retained together weldlessly and the main bearing structure of the bridge is free of fastening holes to fasten the aluminum deck members to the main bearing structure of the bridge.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum deck members are aluminum deck extrusions. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum deck members and the main bearing structure of the bridge are free of fastening holes to fasten them to one another. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each aluminum deck member comprises: a body comprising an upper surface of the aluminum deck member; and a connector integrally formed with the body of the aluminum deck member and configured to connect the aluminum deck member to the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein: the fastening assembly comprises a plurality of fasteners; and the connector of the aluminum deck member is configured to receive a given one of the fasteners to fasten the aluminum deck member to the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the connector of the aluminum deck member comprises a fastener-receiving channel extending in a longitudinal direction of the aluminum deck member and configured to receive the given one of the fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the fastener-receiving channel of the connector of the aluminum deck member is open at a bottom of the aluminum deck member to allow the given one of the fasteners to extend from the fastener-receiving channel of the connector of the aluminum deck member towards the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein: the given one of the fasteners is a first one of the fasteners; and the fastener-receiving channel of the connector of the aluminum deck member is configured to receive a second one of the fasteners. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein: the given one of the fasteners is a first one of the fasteners; the connector of the aluminum deck member comprises a plurality of connecting elements spaced from one another in a widthwise direction of the aluminum deck member; a first one of the connecting elements of the connector is configured to receive the first one of the fasteners to fasten the aluminum deck member to the main bearing structure of the bridge; and a second one of the connecting elements of the connector is configured to receive a second one of the fasteners to fasten the aluminum deck member to the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the connecting elements of the connector of the aluminum deck member comprise fastener-receiving channels extending in a longitudinal direction of the aluminum deck member. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the fastener-receiving channel of the aluminum deck member comprises a plurality of fastener-engaging portions spaced from one another and configured to engage an enlarged portion of the given one of the fasteners. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the fastener-engaging portions of the fastener-receiving channel of the aluminum deck member tapers in a widthwise direction of the aluminum deck member. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein: the enlarged portion of the given one of the fasteners comprises an inclined surface; and each of the fastener-engaging portions of the fastener-receiving channel of the aluminum deck member comprises an inclined surface configured to engage the inclined surface of the enlarged portion of the given one of the fasteners. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the fasteners are threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the fasteners comprise T-bolts. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum deck member comprises a structural channel extending in a longitudinal direction of the aluminum deck member. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the structural channel of the aluminum deck member comprises a plurality of web portions. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum deck member comprises a plurality of structural channels extending in a longitudinal direction of the aluminum deck member and spaced from one another. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the aluminum deck members is configured to interlock with an adjacent one of the aluminum deck members. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein: each aluminum deck member comprises an interlocking portion configured to interlock with the interlocking portion of the adjacent one of the aluminum deck members. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the interlocking portion of the aluminum deck member comprises an interlocking projection and the interlocking portion of the adjacent one of the aluminum deck members comprises an interlocking recess to receive the interlocking projection of the aluminum deck member. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the aluminum deck member comprises a frictional texture to increase friction with traffic on the aluminum deck member. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the frictional texture of the upper surface of the aluminum deck member comprises a plurality of formations extending in a longitudinal direction of the aluminum deck member. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the fastening assembly comprises a plurality of clamps configured to clamp the aluminum deck members to the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein: the main bearing structure of the bridge comprises a beam; the beam comprises a flange; and a given one of the clamps is configured to engage an underside of the flange of the beam. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising an intermediary configured to be disposed between the aluminum deck members and the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the intermediary is an anti-sliding intermediary configured to protect against sliding of the aluminum deck members relative to the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein: the main bearing structure of the bridge comprises metal different from aluminum; and the intermediary is a dielectric intermediary configured to dielectrically isolate the aluminum deck members from the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein: the main bearing structure of the bridge comprises metal different from aluminum; and the intermediary is a dielectric anti-sliding intermediary configured to dielectrically isolate the aluminum deck members from the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge and protect against sliding of the aluminum deck members relative to the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein: the main bearing structure of the bridge comprises metal different from aluminum; and the intermediary is an anti-corrosion intermediary configured to protect against galvanic corrosion between the aluminum deck members and the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the intermediary comprises a coating applied onto at least one of (i) the aluminum deck members and (ii) the fastening assembly. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the coating is applied onto the aluminum deck members. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the coating is applied only onto a limited part of a periphery of a given one of the aluminum deck members such that at least part of the periphery of the given one of the aluminum deck members is free of the coating. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein at least a majority of the periphery of the given one of the aluminum deck members is free of the coating. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the coating is applied onto a part of a periphery of a given one of the aluminum deck members that is configured to press towards the main bearing structure of the bridge. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein: the part of the periphery of the given one of the aluminum deck members that is configured to press towards the main bearing structure of the bridge is a first part of the periphery of the given one of the aluminum deck members; and a second part of the periphery of the given one of the aluminum deck members that is opposite to the first part of the periphery of the given one of the aluminum deck members is free of the coating. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the coating is applied onto the fastening assembly. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62 , wherein: the fastening assembly comprises a plurality of fasteners and a plurality of clamps configured to clamp the aluminum deck members to the main bearing structure of the bridge; and the coating is applied onto the clamps. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the coating is applied only onto a limited part of a periphery of a given one of the clamps such that at least part of the periphery of the given one of the clamps is free of the coating. 
     
     
         65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The system of  56 , wherein the coating comprises a matrix and particles dispersed in the matrix. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the matrix is a polymeric matrix. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the particles are slag. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the particles include metallic elements. 
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the particles are metal oxide particles. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 72 , wherein the metal oxide particles are aluminum oxide particles. 
     
     
         74 . (canceled) 
     
     
         75 . (canceled) 
     
     
         76 . (canceled) 
     
     
         77 . (canceled) 
     
     
         78 . (canceled) 
     
     
         79 . (canceled) 
     
     
         80 . (canceled) 
     
     
         81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . (canceled) 
     
     
         83 . (canceled) 
     
     
         84 . A system for making a deck of a bridge, the system comprising:
 a plurality of aluminum deck members;   a fastening assembly configured to fasten the aluminum deck members to a main bearing structure of the bridge, the main bearing structure of the bridge including metal that is different from aluminum; and   a dielectric intermediary configured to be disposed between the aluminum deck members and the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge to dielectrically isolate the aluminum deck members from the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge,   
     
     
         85 . (canceled) 
     
     
         86 . A system for making a deck of a bridge, the system comprising:
 a plurality of aluminum deck members;   a fastening assembly configured to fasten the aluminum deck members to a main bearing structure of the bridge, the main bearing structure of the bridge including metal that is different from aluminum; and   a dielectric anti-sliding intermediary configured to be disposed between the aluminum deck members and the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge to dielectrically isolate the aluminum deck members from the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge and protect against sliding of the aluminum deck members relative to the metal of the main bearing structure of the bridge.   
     
     
         87 . A system for making a deck of a bridge, the system comprising:
 a plurality of aluminum deck extrusions;   a fastening assembly configured to fasten the aluminum deck extrusions to a steel beam of the bridge; and   a coating applied onto at least one of (i) the aluminum deck extrusions and (ii) the fastening assembly.   
     
     
         88 . (canceled) 
     
     
         89 . (canceled) 
     
     
         90 . (canceled) 
     
     
         91 . (canceled) 
     
     
         92 . (canceled) 
     
     
         93 . (canceled) 
     
     
         94 . (canceled) 
     
     
         95 . (canceled)