Sea Crossing Bridge Repair

In the marine environment, bridges not only have to face long-term humidity, but also alkaline corrosion. So how do these cross sea bridges keep their concrete from cracking and how do they keep the steel bars inside the concrete from rusting? This requires the use of joint sealant and carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP).

Generally speaking, large volume concrete components have the problem of easy dissipation of hydration heat, which is particularly prone to cracking in the special environment of the ocean. Cracking means corrosion. So in the face of harsh environments, daily maintenance of slotted concrete becomes extremely important. The sealant can be injected into 0.1mm microcracks to repair cracks.

Advantages of crack injection

1. Low viscosity, strong permeability, can be injected into a 0.1mm gap

2. Good resistance to damp heat aging (acid, alkali, water);

3. It does not contain volatile substances and does not shrink when hardened;

4. Excellent toughness and impact resistance after curing;

5. Non toxic and convenient for construction;

It is not enough to only use joint sealant, as it can only fill the gaps but cannot reinforce concrete components. So for the sake of safety, carbon fiber cloth is usually used together. CFRP, acid and alkali resistant, corrosion resistant, can be used together with sealant to prevent erosion from marine climate and achieve continuous reinforcement. Cross sea bridge projects require regular repair and reinforcement materials.

This bridge is located in the United Arab Emirates, and its main load-bearing structure has been damaged due to long-term seawater erosion. In order to repair the bridge and improve its bearing capacity, the construction team adopted carbon fiber reinforcement technology and crack repair technology.

By using carbon fiber reinforcement technology, the bearing capacity of this bridge has been significantly improved, while also solving the problem of damage caused by seawater erosion.