WASHING - AN AID TO STEEL BRIDGE MAINTENANCE

The use of de-icing salts is altering local environments alongside motorways and trunk roads, affecting the maintenance needs of steel and concrete overbridges. Sodium chloride solution is corrosive with corrosion rates doubling for each 10 deg C increase in temperature. The salt is hygroscopic and UK relative humidity levels result in the surface being coated with a sodium chloride solution almost continuously in the winter and during the night in summer. Increased summer temperatures ensure that corrosion continues at the same rate throughout the year. Evidence suggests that washing in a marine environment reduces corrosion and paint failure. Hence washing bridges at the end of winter could halt corrosion for eight or nine months of the year. Washing is less disruptive to traffic than painting and cost benefits could be achieved if it were found that painting had to be carried out less frequently as the result of annual washing. The author suggests that more needs to be known of the levels of salt, deposits on steel and concrete overbridges, and trials should be conducted to determine the long-term effects of washing steel and concrete overbridges. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00396303
• Corporate Authors:

  Specialist and Professional Press

  Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way
  Sutton, Surrey SM1 4QQ,   England 
• Authors:
  • Nash, GFJ
• Publication Date: 1984-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 14-15
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 163
  • Issue Number: 4791
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Concrete; Concrete bridges; Corrosion; Corrosion protection; Deicing chemicals; Deicing equipment; Maintenance; Metal bridges; Sodium chloride; Steel bridges; Temperature; Washing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deicers
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 4755: Concrete; 5252: Corrosion; 2598: Deicing; 3465: Metal bridge; 7316: Sodium chloride; 6722: Temperature; 5183: Washing
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389527
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM