Lake Worth Bascule Bridge
Lake Avenue Bascule Bridge is located at Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) Mile Marker 1028.8 in Lake Worth, about nine statute miles south of Lake Worth Inlet. The bridge has a 35-foot closed vertical clearance with 90 feet of horizontal clearance at center.
The Problem
The large reinforced concrete columns are in the atmospheric zone and periodically exposed to saltwater during storm events or heavy boat traffic. This periodic wetting has caused the lower portions of these columns to become chloride contaminated and deteriorate. A previous corrosion protection system was installed on the bottoms of these columns but failed due to the periodic wetting cycles.
Our Solution
Traditional methods for corrosion protection like Tidal CP jackets and Zinc Arc Spray would fail in this environment due to the periodic wetting cycles. An alkali-activated CP jacket (Type M) was chosen, as this system is designed to work in these periodic wettings. This Jacket system utilizes alkali-activated zinc anodes within a stay-in-place form filled with concrete grout.
The Result
The periodic wetting and drying of these columns caused other systems to fail prematurely. The Galvashield Type M Jacket system is designed to provide decades of protection in this challenging environment.
Technology Used
These innovative products and technologies were used on this project.