Preparation and performance of durable waterproof adhesive layer for steel bridge deck based on self-stratification effect.

• 5 kinds of WAL for steel bridge pavement have been prepared based on self-stratification behavior between the acrylic resin and epoxy resin. • WAL demonstrates excellent adhesive strength, mechanical performance, impermeability and UV durability. • The self-stratification mechanism was discussed based on surface energy theory and micro characterization. In view of the shortcomings of the existing steel bridge deck waterproof adhesive layer (WAL), such as poor durability, high construction cost and long construction period, a new preparation method of waterproof coating with self-stratification effect is proposed. In this paper, poly butyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate–styrene block copolymer with lower glass transition temperature was synthesized by free radical solution polymerization, and 5 kinds of self-stratification coatings were obtained by mixing it with epoxy resin at different mass ratios. The glass transition temperature, thermal stability and chemical composition of acrylic resin were characterized by DSC, TGA, and FT-IR. The self-stratification behavior of the coatings was confirmed by FT-IR, SEM, and water contact angle test. The basic performance and road performance of above self-stratifying waterproof coatings were tested according to specific standards. The results show that these coatings exhibit excellent heat resistance, low temperature flexibility and mechanical properties, namely, average tensile strength can reach 6 MPa, the elongation at break can reach 108 %. Furthermore, the coatings also present extraordinary pull-out strength of 9.51 MPa and excellent water impermeability. Moreover, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the self-stratifying waterproof coatings after UV aging test decreased by 7.3 % and 5.2 %, respectively, indicating that above coating have excellent durability. Therefore, the performance of the coating prepared in this paper fully meets the requirements of the road and bridge waterproof coating standards. The optimum mixing ratio of acrylic resin and epoxy resin is recommended as 3:7 based on their performance. Finally, self-stratifying mechanism of coatings was proposed based on the surface energy theory, which provides theoretical support for the design and preparation of the steel bridge deck WAL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]