A recent emergency bridge scour repair has shown the range of concreting competencies at the disposal of Welsh marine civil engineers and M&CCE exhibitors Kaymac.
The Dipping Bridge in Merthyr Mawr is a four span masonry bridge which carries New Inn Road over the River Ignore. Following an underwater inspection it became clear that the east training wall on the downstream side of the structure was subject to severe undercutting, and required an emergency mass concrete repair to prevent collapse.
Due to the works being carried out during the fisheries embargo for spawning and migration, the water had to be monitored throughout the duration of the repairs and works had to stop if there was any overburden of suspended silts within the watercourse outside of the silt curtain. If this was the case works could then resume when the river had cleared.
Shuttering was lowered into the water and assembled along the length of the undercut. The underpinning works was carried out in four individual lifts due to the height of the repair.
The void was measured to ascertain the volume of concrete required for each lift, a tube was positioned within the shutters and the void was filled until the required level reached. The shutter was checked regularly to ensure no leaks appeared during the pour and the concrete vibrated periodically to prevent any air pockets or honeycombing and to ensure that the concrete spread into the entire void. The concrete was allowed to cure and the shutter stripped allowing the silt curtain to be removed on completion. The bridge was then strengthened, protected and declared safe for years of future use.
Kaymac is a family business that started out in Swansea solely as a diving contractor; the company now describes itself as one of the largest specialists commercial Diving and Marine Civil engineering contractors in UK. It has offices in Swansea, Bristol and Kent with an impressive number of Public and Private sector clients Nationwide.
Since the beginning Kaymac has sourced and trialled new technologies and innovative methods to ensure that we have the safest, most productive and cost-effective ways of managing difficult marine civil engineering projects; even highly regulated and time-sensitive ones.
Kaymac’s in-house team includes chartered civil engineers, planners, commercial divers and skilled civil operatives.
Visit Kaymac Marine and Civil Engineering ltd at M&CCE 2021 on stand MC61
