The third phase of the technically demanding task, to strengthen west London’s extremely busy Hammersmith Road Bridge, has just been initiated by national multi-disciplined refurbishment Contractor Concrete Repairs Limited (CRL).

The 105 years-old, three-span structure, which carries traffic over two Network Rail and one London Underground railway lines, is located on the A315, close to Olympia. Originally constructed with thirteen longitudinal cast-iron girders per span, supported by brick and piers, the bridge is currently well below the required capacity for accommodating 40-tonne vehicles. As a result, restrictions to both the number of lanes on the bridge and vehicle weight limits have been in place, which was an unacceptable long term situation given the traffic volumes being carried by this bustling thoroughfare.

Because of the massive disruption that would be caused (to say nothing about the financial implications), the construction of a replacement bridge was simply not an option. Neither was the installation of a steel/composite alternative, since the solution needed to be both as light in weight as possible and quick to install.

Several alternative methods were considered, but the method finally chosen was the installation of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates. Although the technique is relatively new, it has been employed on nearly four hundred sites over the past ten years in the UK. A bespoke design was produced by Mouchel Parkman Advanced Engineering Group and independently checked by Tony Gee & Partners. It demanded specialist design and installation but in comparison to steel plate bonding, the CFRP system offers several advantages. Unlike steel it will not corrode, is considerably stronger and will not confer significant additional dead load to the structure. It is also easier to install due to its lightweight nature.

The installation work was procured by The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham through their term contractor Colas. Specialist installer CRL is bonding the plates to the lower flange of each beam, using a two-part cold-cure epoxy adhesive. No additional mechanical fastening is employed. The contract is being undertaken by CRL under tight programming conditions to meet specified and very limited rail closures. Intensive preparation and professional management has ensured that the work has proceeded to programme.

CRL NEWS:

November 2007
SPECIAL CONTRACTOR AWARDS 2007 - CRL DOES IT AGAIN!

October 2007
M6 RAY HALL VIADUCT 'BENTS' STRAIGHTENED OUT

August 2007
CARING MSCP REFURBISHMENT

July 2007
CRL WIN AGAIN!

July 2007
DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR CRL

February 2007
STILL GOING STRONG

November 2006
CRL LAUNCH NEW FACADES DIVISION

August 2006
HARRY POTTER NOT INVOLVED!

August 2006
PRESTIGIOUS EWI AWARD FOR CRL

July 2006
CRL WIN PRESTIGIOUS 'BEST PLACE TO WORK' AWARD

July 2006
MANAGEMENT BUY CRL FROM MJ GLEESON

July 2006
AND THE WINNER IS... CRL!

June 2006
NEW FACADES MANAGER FOR CRL

May 2006
CRL SETS UP SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

April 2006
COST-EFFECTIVE REFURBISHMENT

February 2006
LIGHTENING THE LOAD

January 2006
CHRISTMAS DONATION

December 2005
WALTON NEW BRIDGE ...AS GOOD AS NEW!

November 2005
THURROCK DISTRICT COUNCIL WARMS TO EXTERNAL INSULATION

November 2005
MAINTENANCE IN AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENTS

October 2005
INSULATED FEATURES AT CRAWLEY

September 2005
WATERPROOFING - AS MUCH AN ART AS A SCIENCE

June 2005
MODERN STRENGTHENING TECHNIQUE FOR NEO CLASSICAL STRUCTURE

April 2005
NEW REGIONAL MANAGER FOR CRL

January 2005
UNIQUE SERVICES FOR CAR PARK STRUCTURES

January 2005
ALL-EMBRACING - MSCP REFURBISHMENT

CRL NEWS ARCHIVE:

2004 (CLICK HERE)

2003 (CLICK HERE)

2002 (CLICK HERE)

2001 (CLICK HERE)

2000 (CLICK HERE)

1999 (CLICK HERE)