Construction Equipment Guide
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Thu August 30, 2012 - National Edition
Cintec America’s Archtec bridge reinforcement system recently won The Historic Bridge & Infrastructure Award. The award was given to Cintec for their work on the Pont Telpyn Bridge over the Clywd River in the United Kingdom. In 2008 the bridge suffered from severe flood damage and was prevented from total collapse by Cintec anchors. According to the company, Archtec is a complete diagnostic design and installation service that utilizes sophisticated technology and drilling methods specially designed to strengthen masonry arch bridges while maintaining the historical integrity of the bridge.
The damage to the bridge resulted in evidence of movement, severe cracking, and dilatancy of the masonry. There was proof of cracking through mortar joints throughout the length of the wall. The road surface showed three main failures that indicated tension failure above the east abutment, compression failure above the west springing, and shears failure to the west of the bridge. In order to repair the bridge a temporary channel was excavated to divert the river throughout the repair phase. Next, the arch was propped underneath and the parapet walls were removed so that Cintec anchors could be drilled and installed to stabilize the structure. After the installation of the Cintec anchors to bring the bridge back to a 44 ton capacity, the roadway was reconstructed to the original profile. In addition to preserving the historical features of the bridge, Archtec has no impact on the natural environment, is economically superior to other methods of reinforcement, and can be completed with little or no traffic delays, according to the company.
The Historic Bridge & Infrastructure Awards were created for the purpose of recognizing and encouraging innovation in conservation. The awards are given to a project that involves the structural maintenance, strengthening, restoration, and conservation of a structure that is 30 years old or more, within the United Kingdom.
Cintec’s Archtec system has also been previously awarded the 2002 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation and received two U.K. Historic Bridge Awards and an Engineering Excellence Award from The Institution of Engineers, Australia in 2001.