GONE TO THE WALL

In February 1999, a steel-reinforced retaining wall, built as part of a road improvement scheme in Scotland, was found to suffer from severe corrosion. It was constructed, between December 1972 and May 1973, from cruciform reinforced concrete panels, to which stainless steel reinforcing elements were attached. The wall's owner, the City of Edinbourgh Council, commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to investigate the wall. A detailed line and level survey was made to monitor the wall's movement, and physical studies were made to determine the nature and extent of the corrosion. Three trial pits were excavated to depths up to 1.8m along the affected length, between 2.2m and 5.5m from the wall's front face. Severe and highly localised corrosion was found in most elements. The corrosion's apparently random distribution seems to indicate that it was not caused by the ingress of de-icing salts or other materials. However, road infrastructure owners should be aware of the possibility of corrosion to all grades of steel when placed in potentially corrosive enviroments, which include natural fills, waste materials, and industrial by-products. It is urgent to identify, then check, such situations where corrosion could ocurr. The backfill material of this particular wall was spent oil shale.

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

  Hemming Group, Limited

  32 Vauxhall Bridge Road
  London,   United Kingdom  SW1V 2SS
• Authors:
  • Winter, M
  • BUTLER, A
• Publication Date: 1999-5-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 12-3
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 186
  • Issue Number: 5531
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Continuous structures; Corrosion; Corrosion resistance; Laboratories; Material reinforcement; Motion; Reinforced concrete; Reinforcing materials; Research projects; Retaining walls; Shale; Steel; Surveillance; Tests; Urban areas; Waste products (Materials)
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 4563: By product; 9006: Continuous; 5252: Corrosion; 6237: Laboratory (not an organization); 5483: Movement; 4794: Reinforced concrete; 3471: Reinforcement (in mater); 8557: Research project; 3359: Retaining wall; 4168: Shale; 4551: Stainless; 4542: Steel; 9101: Surveillance; 6255: Test; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Research; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00768664
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Sep 10 1999 12:00AM