Describes the large repair and protection works at the Zeeland bridge on the Rhine-Scheldt estuary in the south-west of the Netherlands. This concrete bridge is a succession of T-shaped units, standing in a saline environment. Around 1980, about fifteen years after completion, the first rust spots appeared on the concrete. Investigations showed that chloride penetration into the concrete, both in dry and wet areas, was the main cause of the visible damage. The nature of the damage, investigations into possible solutions, repairs and method chosen to protect the construction from further chloride penetration, as well as the preliminary results of the tests are discussed. The attention is mainly focused on the superstructure and the anchorage chambers in the caissons. |
