Reinstatement of 5000m² of brick tunnel lining on Brunel’s rail tunnel. Background Designed by Marc Brunel (father of the much celebrated Isambard Kingdom Brunel who nearly lost his life in the construction) and opened for use in 1843, the 365 metre long rail tunnel under the River Thames was the first of its kind. It… Read more
Waterproofing and freeze-thaw protection of mass concrete counterweights on historic bridge. Background Since its construction in 1922, Connecticut Dept. of Transport has carefully maintained the Route 1 Mystic River Bridge which links the townships of Groton and Stonington. Over the decades, the repeated cycling of freezing and thawing during the wintertime, and the effects of… Read more
Rapid reinstatement of concrete lining to a canal. Background Following draining down approximately 2km of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal at Gilwern and Govilon, two sections of the concrete lining were found to have moved and cracked. A large hole was also found in the towpath wall close to Bridge 96. The Solution In order… Read more
Repair and corrosion protection of the oldest pre-cast concrete structure of its type in the UK. Background Believed to be the oldest precast structure of its type in the U.K., Norwich City Council did not let the function of this building compromise the need to preserve its heritage value. They insisted on the renovation work… Read more
Comprehensive Repair & Protection for Stairways, Lintels & Command Post Roof Background The Heugh Gun Battery dates back to Napoleonic time, with the current structure completed in 1860, and had its name cast into the history of the Great War by defending Hartlepool and the UK mainland from the East Coast Bombardment on 16 December 1914…. Read more
Concrete Repair Solution for Concrete Bridges Suffering from Effects of Carbonation Background On five of the road bridges above the Shropshire Union Canal (Snapes, Pickerings, Wardle, Henhull & Cheney road bridges), inadequate concrete cover to the steel reinforcement had given rise to premature failure from the effects of carbonation. The Solution Following consultation with specialist contractor Gables… Read more
Concrete repairs to ornamental fountain to prevent water loss due to deterioration and crack formation (200m²). All over waterproof coating. Background Culzean Castle, one of Robert Adam’s finest creations, is a major attraction on the Ayrshire coast in Scotland. Maintained by The National Trust for Scotland, the fine gardens include an ornamental stone fountain set… Read more
Waterproofing and Concrete Repair for Underground Water Storage Tank Background Planning Consultants Eletecno Spa, contacted Rivestimenti Speciali SRL concerning the inner lining of the buried concrete fire safety water storage tank located at the Leroy Merlin Commercial Centre. The surface of the concrete tank was badly deteriorated, with spalling and cracks resulting in water leakage…. Read more
In-situ corrosion protection of metal sections in the sewers of London. Background Constructed back in the 19th century, the steelwork in the main chambers of the trunk sewer in East London suffer from advanced corrosion in the permanently damp and acidic atmosphere. The owner, Thames Water Utilities, sought innovative solutions to arrest the deterioration, and… Read more
Protection of steel spill water tank for the Swedish Yeast Company. Background The steel spill water tank belonging to The Swedish Yeast Company was showing evidence of corrosion internally both on the floor and structural support beams. In line with the client’s strong environmental credentials, a water-based solution was preferred to traditional technologies. The Solution… Read more
Corrosion protection for steel sea water intake pipes. Background With probably the most hostile climate and harshest service conditions to cope with, RasGas are aware of the need to constantly assess new technologies for heavy-duty corrosion protection. The shear size of the new sea water intake pipes for the expansion of the Ras Laffan facility… Read more
Corrosion protection of steel aerator floatation units in contact with sewage. Background The sewer aerator floatation units were suffering from advanced corrosion owing to aggressive attack of acidic waste water combined with the inevitable effects of impact damage. The surface deterioration was exacerbated by exposure to harsh direct sunlight, and the historic use of coal… Read more
Corrosion protection of cast steel segments. Background Since construction in 1966, the cast steel segmental tunnel carrying the services beneath the entrance to Lowestoft harbour had become significantly corroded due to the leakage of both water and sewage. The Client sought a practical refurbishment solution which could be effectively executed in the confined and difficult… Read more
External protection of steel water pipes totalling 1500m². Background Alcan’s aluminium smelter in Fort William relies on the supply of cooling water which is collected in a hillside reservoir with delivery to the plant through a series of large bore pipes. Owing to the exposed location, the existing paint had suffered failure with extensive rusting evident…. Read more
External protection of 48,000m² of welded steel, gas pipeline before being buried. Background This pipeline carries 300 million ft³ of gas per day at a pressure of 1200psi. PDVSA sought an environmentally friendly stand-alone coating with guaranteed corrosion protection for the remaining service life of the pipeline. Good adhesion to both bare steel and remaining… Read more
Corrosion protection of metal flotation unit. Background Mera S.A. works extensively with oil and gas companies in Argentina. They have special expertise in coating technology and were very keen that Tecpetrol should have the opportunity to evaluate Flexcrete’s thin film cementitious anti-corrosive coating, Cemprotec E942 as an alternative to the more traditional finishes with which… Read more
Asbestos encapsulation between precast segments. Background The newest of the two road tunnels running beneath the River Mersey, the 2.2 kilometre long Kingsway dates from the early 1970’s. The tunnel bore is lined by precast concrete segments and the joints were sealed with a caulking material found to contain asbestos. With the passage of time,… Read more
Temporary waterproofing of concrete floors to fast-track construction. Background Linden Homes, part of the Galliford Try Construction Group, is a specialist regional house building company producing high quality homes in prime residential locations. To ensure that tight deadlines are met, it is frequently necessary to install temporary waterproofing of concrete floors, thereby enabling the installation of services and joinery to… Read more
Concrete waterproofing and protection of twin 570 metre long road tunnels. Background These twin 570 metre long road tunnels channel traffic under the Limfjord Canal in Denmark. Originally built in the early 1960’s, the lower half is protected with white tiles, whilst the upper half of the walls and the ceiling remained bare concrete until, to improve the… Read more
Protective Lining to Concrete Silo Containing Urea Prills Background 11 metres in diameter, QAFCO’s Prill Tower is designed to allow liquid urea at 150oC to form into pellets as it drops through a counter-current of air. Elevated operating temperatures had weakened the concrete pore system and urea at high concentrations, mixing with washdown water, had… Read more
Moisture suppression on 1200m² of concrete floor in a tunnel prior to applying a decorative epoxy coating. Background Situated 30km to the west of Helsinki in Ämmässuo, Finland’s newest and largest waste treatment centre houses a modern compost handling system. The design incorporates an underground tunnel requiring a highly chemical resistant epoxy floor finish. Due… Read more
Repair of Spalled Concrete Columns & Protection against Further Chloride Attack Background 2250m in length, the Tay Road Bridge spans the River Tay Estuary from Dundee to Newport. It was completed in 1966 and consist of 42 pairs of concrete columns ranging in height from 5.5m to 30m. The problem identified was corrosion of the steel… Read more
Protection from Chloride & Water Ingress on Cracked Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns Background On this section of State Route 8, the supporting columns had previously been repaired with Shotcrete to replace unsound, chloride contaminated concrete. However, this remedial work was unsuccessful, resulting in crack formation to leave the cathodic protection grid exposed to the elements. These… Read more
Reinstating Cover & Structural Integrity on Major Concrete Road Bridge Background A covermeter survey on completion of the new Hillingdon Bridge showed signs of low concrete cover to the reinforcement of the parapet beams. Due to the location of this bridge over one of the main arterial routes into London, it was absolutely imperative to… Read more
Reinstating Impact Damage on Concrete Bridge Abutment Background After an articulated lorry had crashed into it, East Lothian Council needed to take fast action to repair severe damage to an abutment on the A1 truck road at the junction with the A720. This is one of the main routes for heavy traffic between England and… Read more
Concrete Repairs to Maintain Integrity & Protect Against Corrosion Background INEOS Chlor is the world’s third largest chemical manufacturer with a major UK facility at Runcorn, Cheshire. Here steel pipe stacks on its chlorine derivatives plant, which are jacketed with concrete to provide corrosion protection and heat insulation, were suffering from corrosion resulting in cracking… Read more
Reinstating areas of drag on newly constructed slip-formed concrete faces Background The Lakeside Energy from Waste (EfW) facility at Colnbrook has been operational since 2010. Located in close proximity to Heathrow T5, it was constructed at a total cost of £125m, with the civil engineering package alone valued at £35m. The facility is capable of… Read more
Concrete Repair & Protection System for Major Trunk Road Bridge Background Egginton Bridge carries the A38 trunk road 200 metres above a flood plain. A number of damaging factors – including carbonation, chloride attack and water ingress – had caused a series of defects on the main beams, cross beams and supporting pillars. This ultimately resulted… Read more
Concrete Repair & Protection System for Major Trunk Road Bridge Background Egginton Bridge carries the A38 trunk road 200 metres above a flood plain. A number of damaging factors – including carbonation, chloride attack and water ingress – had caused a series of defects on the main beams, cross beams and supporting pillars. This ultimately resulted… Read more
Repair & Protection of Reinforced Concrete Suffering from Salt Induced Corrosion of the Reinforcement Background The Staalehuset Salt & Fish Warehouse was built in 1919 by Steffen Staalesen, who was Norway’s largest exporter of herrings with nearly 2,000 employees. When completed, it was the largest concrete building in Art Nouveau style in Northern Europe. However,… Read more