TESTING THE TIMES

Hundreds of post-tensioned concrete bridges in the UK have been selected for inspection and investigation by the Highways Agency (HA). This article reports the inspection of Harlaston Road Bridge in Lincolnshire, which carries the A1 Grantham bypass over the A607 trunk road from Grantham to Melton Mowbray. There are three stages of investigation for each chosen bridge. A preliminary desk study reviews documents to verify the bridge structure and indicate possible vulnerable locations. A preliminary site inspection examines the bridge visually to identify distressed areas and plan an investigation programme. Site investigation is conducted, then the project manager reports on the bridge's structural condition and any future monitoring requirements. The work on Harlaston Road bridge illustrates what the inspections and investigations are like, and how modern cover meter and probe equipment reduce on-site times and destructive drilling. The bridge was built in 1961, and has three simply supported spans and a 37 skew. Each span consists of 200mm thick slab, supported by 16 prestressed post-tensioned precast concrete beams. The article describes the bridge's investigation and its remedial work, which requires regrouting of voids within ducts and covering exposed tendons with a corrosion-inhibiting coating.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/3831968
• Corporate Authors:

  Alad Limited

  P.O. Box 135
  Sutton, Surrey  United Kingdom  SM2 7JP
• Authors:
  • BARFOOT, J
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 20-1
• Serial:
  • Highways
  • Volume: 68
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Alad Limited
  • ISSN: 0142-6168
  • Serial URL: http://www.highways-mag.co.uk

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Bridge members; Bridges; Concrete; Continuous structures; Evaluation and assessment; Federal government; Length; Loss and damage; Measuring instruments; Posttensioning; Precast concrete; Repairing; Surveillance; Tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bridge spans; Site investigation
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 6155: Apparatus (measuring); 3455: Bridge; 4755: Concrete; 9006: Continuous; 1614: Damage; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 183: Government (national); 2748: Main road; 4789: Post tensioning; 4792: Precast concrete; 3635: Repair; 5722: Site investigation; 3452: Span; 9101: Surveillance; 6255: Test; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00779388
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 7 1999 12:00AM