Sika’s concrete repair system has been specified as part of the £13.6m refurbishment of the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland. Spanning the Firth of Forth in Scotland, the project for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority involved the replacement and refurbishment of the steel bearings on the north and south approach viaducts of the bridge, together with associated concrete repairs to the approach piers and strengthening to the steel box superstructure. Appointed by main contractor Balfour Beatty to bring the structure up to 21st century specifications, specialist contractor Freyssinet Makers turned to Sika for a long term, reliable and industry-proven concrete repair solution.

Prior to the replacement of the bearings, action was required to repair the concrete pier tops with Sika’s unrivalled range of high performance repair mortars once again proving ideal to re-strengthen the approach viaduct piers and protect this iconic bridge for many years to come. Approached early in the design process, Sika worked closely with the consulting engineers Atkins and main contractor Balfour Beatty to advise material selection and properties required for a performance-based specification.

Significant structures in their own right, the two approach viaducts at 252 metres and 438 metres on the north and south sides respectively, required around 100 tonnes of concrete repair products with Sika’s Armocrete, a cementitious free flowing micro-concrete repair system, used for all pier repairs and Sika Amorex L2 High Flow, a rapid strength grout used under the large bridge bearing plates.

The fact that the concrete piers were adjacent to the communities either side also meant that the works had to be completed with minimal disruption and containment to keep dust down. Hydro-demolition was used to remove deteriorated concrete in the pier head, leaving a perfect bonding surface for the concrete repair material.

Sika’s entire range of concrete repair products is certified to BS EN 1504, the European standard for concrete repair. This accreditation applies not only to the production quality of the products themselves but also to the guidance issued with them. The accreditation ensures users of the high quality nature of Sika’s concrete repair systems.