Watkins Bridge
The two old bridges on Five Islands Road over Cockle Creek North and South arms, built in 1973, provide a vital link within Lake Macquarie and surrounding areas.
The Problem
A planned road widening and increased vehicular traffic necessitated a detailed durability condition assessment to establish the bridge's condition and identify suitable remedial options. The assessment found the bridge piers were subject to varying creek tidal levels and chloride-induced corrosion. The planned repairs would restore all of the damaged concrete and utilize cathodic protection to extend the structure's service life for an additional 20 years. Due to structural constraints, no holes were allowed to be drilled into the concrete piers.
Our Solution
Parchem Construction Supplies, Vector’s distributor in Australia, worked with the design engineer to prescribe a galvanic encasement of the piers. The encasement utilized Galvashield DAS Type M and Type F anodes and a reinforced self-compacting concrete overlay to repair and protect the piers in one step.
The Result
The installation of the galvanic encasement provided long-lasting repairs to damaged sections of the bridge while protecting the structure from active and future corrosion. The distributed galvanic anode system provided an effective, innovative and custom-tailored corrosion solution with no additional monitoring or operational cost. Monitoring of the Galvashield DAS anodes carried out by the engineer showed that the system is performing satisfactorily and meets the Australian Standard for Cathodic Protection of Steel in Concrete Structures. This project was publicly recognized by the industry, receiving a Merit Award from the Australian Concrete Repair Association in 2016.
Technology Used
These innovative products and technologies were used on this project.