09 Mar 04
Heat treatment for Cumbrian bridge
In-situ heating is to be used to speed up the repair of a damaged bridge in northern England. A steel beam on Floriston Bridge over the A74 was struck by a lorry-borne crane, buckling a 7.5m length. Repair work will start next week, using blowtorches to heat the damaged section a few centimetres at a time. The beam will be allowed to contract on cooling, to resume its original shape. The technique has previously been used to straighten bridges US, but is rare in Britain. "This innovative repair method will take just two weeks, while removing and replacing the damaged beam would take at least a month," said Highways Agency project manager Paul Turner. This is also reflected in the cost of the work, which will be US$330,000, compared to the US$740,000 cost of replacement.