On this project we were hired as sub-contractors for Gibbons Contractors. The bridge was experiencing a fair amount of corrosion due to it being in an estuary. Corrosion Control was the decided route to protect the existing reinforcement.
We were brought in to do the corrosion control aspect of the project. The following work was completed:
We worked closely with Concrete Plus to provide the best anodes for the job. After the breakout was completed by Gibbons, we successfully installed 273 galvanic anodes to the exposed reinforcement. This will allow the corrosion to happen in the anode and not the steel because the Zinc contained in the anode will attract the rust away from the steel. After the installation of the anodes, we preformed tests on the Dekguard primer that was used to spray on the bridge. We performed a penetration test to see how well the primer absorbed in the concrete. The thickness test of the finished coat allowed us to see how thick the coating of the primer, once finished and absorbed by the concrete, will be. We then did a pull off test on both in order to see how well the primer has bonded to the concrete. Crack injection was used on specific areas of the concrete as the corrosion of the steel within had caused some obvious spalling.
With the galvanic anodes we provided and installed, the client was able to complete the improvements on the bridge without replacing the reinforcement, saving them time and money. The tests we performed on the primer allowed the client to be assured that it will work to expectations and will be durable. The crack injections repaired the damaged concrete to not only give it a presentable finish but to also prevent the concrete from cracking further.
