Title:
Structural Repair; Texas, Piedras, Raynor Street Bridge, El Paso, Texas, Spring 1992
Author(s):
R. Navarro, R. J. Bucheral, R. J. Gulyas, and C. Glasscock
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
151
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
275-292
Keywords:
bridge decks; bridge piers; bridges (structures); carbonation; chlorides; columns (supports); corrosion; reinforcing steels; repairs; spalling; sprayed coatings; Construction
DOI:
10.14359/4374
Date:
7/1/1994
Abstract:
In the early 1960s, the city of El Paso constructed the Texas, Piedras, Raynor Street Bridge, a mile-long, four-lane artery leading to the center of downtown, and a main road important to many businesses and merchants. Time and the effects of chloride penetration from road salts, plus carbonation, took its toll on this bridge. Corrosion of the reinforcing steel led to spalls on pier caps and corrosion of columns, in addition to massive spalling and delaminations of the bridge deck and parapets. Early in 1990, a complete structural repair of the bridge was conducted. Attempts to repair the bridge were unsuccessful. Cracks and delaminations in the substrate and in the areas that had been repaired were evident. Due to safety concerns, the bridge was closed for structural repairs. Repairs began again in November 1991. The first stage of repair consisted of removing the previous failed materials and all unsound concrete. Once all areas were prepared, the low-pressure spraying of a structural, one-component, high-strength fiber reinforced, shrinkage-compensated product began. Three men were employed in the batching and spraying of the material--two at the hopper/mixing unit, and one operating the spray nozzle. Using a pump for placement, the contractor was able to realize a maximum of 3 yd 3 per hr. Workers with trowels followed closely behind the nozzle man, and, using a finishing aid, were able to finish the placement quickly and efficiently. Circular bridge piers were finished with a template to maintain the design cross section. A water-based curing compound was applied to insure maximum moisture retention and full hydration of the mortar. All patches were covered with thermal protection for 7 days, to allow for cure. Because the sprayed material adheres well, it performed exceptionally on all of the vertical and overhead repairs required on this bridge. Its excellent bond strength, outstanding structural properties, and low permeability provided the needed characteristics for this job. The sprayability of the product meant less labor required on the job and faster turnaround. Since this was the second repair of this bridge, these characteristics were very important. The product performed exceptionally well and resulted in a hard and dense repair.