A-1 / A-13 / A-14 Underpasses - Italy
The A14 motorway, also called Bologna-Taranto or Autostrada Adriatica, connects Bologna to Taranto. 743.4 km long, it is entirely managed by Autostrade per l'Italia. It is the second longest and most important Italian motorway axis after the A1 del Sole motorway (760 km).
The Problem
Originally built in the 1960s, many of these tunnels were expanded over the following decades to allow for more lanes of traffic to cross over. The original tunnels were often left in place and tied into the newer sections creating an interface of old and new concrete. This, combined with the atmospheric saltwater exposure from being located along the coast, made for a highly corrosive environment. The owner opted to complete a series of tests on select structures, including half-cell potentials and chloride sampling, to quantify the risk of corrosion in targeted locations.
Our Solution
Some concrete repairs were initially completed without corrosion protection, but the owner soon contacted Vector’s regional partner Cherico Systems, to implement a suite of corrosion control technologies to extend the life of these repairs. These technologies included Galvashield® XP4 units which would be embedded in repairs, Galvashield® CC units in areas of sound concrete but with a risk of corrosion and Galvashield® Fusion® T2 anodes in areas of highest risk of corrosion.
Our Galvashield® SM-DAS was installed on the ceiling of the tunnels. These surface mounted anodes utilize our Galvashield® DAS technology which can protect densely packed areas of reinforcement where some other solutions would not be economically or physically viable. This system also does not require specialized equipment to install, reducing the difficulty when mobilizing in hard to access locations.
The Result
The Galvashield® SM-DAS anodes could be installed over already repaired areas which allowed for faster installation times while offering enhanced corrosion protection. Overall, these corrosion protection solutions will protect the embedded steel to ensure these repairs and tunnels continue to operate for decades to come.
Technology Used
These innovative products and technologies were used on this project.