Trying to lengthen the life of bridges

1999/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak

The salt used to melt the snow is known to help deteriorate the road. Both the road and the bridges and its concrete. In the areas where each year the snow and salt are used to melt the ice, the concrete of the bridges needs a repair, since in 25 years it is cracked little by little and the interior steel is exposed.

In 1972, however, it began to use the additive known as Ippc, which is mixed with concrete. The use of the product increases the cost of the bridge by 5%, but after 25 years, in the cases in which the product mentioned in the construction was used, it is observed that the concrete of the bridge is practically in its initial state.

Studies carried out under an electronic microscope have confirmed that the additive has reacted with concrete, so the concrete structure is thinner and there is less space between granules. This has led the expert to think that the duration of bridges can double and the validity of the product has been confirmed, so far questioned.