Pien Niehe
Europe Press Office,Amsterdam
The renovation of the bridges at Kreekrak in the Netherlands recently reached an important milestone with the completion of the strengthening measures at the southern bridge.
The renovation work involved global additional strengthening, necessary accommodate for future traffic loading, which includes the application of new steelwork to the main girders and the jacking of the bridge at pier supports. The works are being undertaken in a phased manner in order to minimize the hindrance impact on both the road and canal traffic.
The steel bridges, which are 240m long with a main span of 140m, carry the A58 over the Schelde-Rijn canal, required renovation due to fatigue damage in the steel deck.
Over the past weeks, a thin layer of high strength concrete was placed on, and structurally connected, to the steel deck at the south bridge. This concrete overlay enhances the fatigue performance of the orthotropic steel deck below.
This renovation project is part of a major bridge renovation programme in the Netherlands, being delivered by the highway authority Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management ('Rijkswaterstaat'). Arup, in partnership with RoyalHaskoningDHV, is responsible for the assessment, design, procurement and construction supervision. The construction works at the Kreekrak bridges are being undertaken by Heijmans as the main contractor, and with their steel subcontractor Iemants.
The focus now switches to the northern steel bridge, where similar renovation works will be undertaken and are expected to be completed this summer.