M4 magic

This article details the challenges faced by operators repairing a motorway viaduct over a major road near the city of London, UK, and the technical solutions that were developed. Near-surface reinforcement had corroded following leakage of road de-icing salts. Closing the motorway section affected was not possible as the volume of diverted traffic would be too great for alternative routes. A maintenance strategy was proposed that focused on reducing seepage from the deck and introducing cathodic protection. Ingress of chloride-saturated water was prevented by replacing asphaltic joints on the motorway deck during night-time lane possessions to minimise traffic disruption. Original plans for removing and replacing damaged concrete and installing cathodic protection encountered problems with night-time noise restrictions in a residential area. The final solution was to core holes from end to end of each beam to install cathodic protection anodes, avoiding all work underneath the structure: this reduced time and energy spent on the work. Concrete repair will be carried out in strips, using a giant scissor-lift truck enclosed in noise-suppressing material.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03077683
• Publication Date: 2007-9-27

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 34-36
• Serial:
  • NEW CIVIL ENGINEER
  • Publisher: EMAP CONSTRUCT LIMITED
  • ISSN: 0307-7683

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Corrosion; Drilling; Electrodes; Freeways; Noise; Prevention; Repairing; Traffic congestion; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 632: Congestion (traffic); 5252: Corrosion; 3871: Drilling; 6951: Electrode; 2752: Motorway; 2492: Noise; 9149: Prevention; 3635: Repair; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Security and Emergencies; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01102700
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: TRL
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jun 16 2008 8:21AM