Hydrodemolition teams have supported vital maintenance on a major bridge by freeing bearings that dampen vibration so they could be replaced.
Aquaforce Concrete Services, a member of the Water Jetting Association (WJA), used high pressure jets of water to blast concrete, grout and resin from around 208 bearings under the Ouse Bridge.
The 1.6km-long bridge carries the M62 across the River Ouse between Goole and Howden in East Yorkshire.
The bearings allow the bridge sections to flex and move to prevent vibrations caused by vehicles. But over time, they seize up, risking structural damage, so must be replaced.
In an 18-month programme, Aquaforce worked with its parent company, Freyssinet UK and Highway England’s principal contractor, A-one+, to remove the bearings so new ones could be installed.
Aquaforce general manager Gavin Thomas said: “The project has been a great success and demonstrated our ability to work together to overcome any technical challenges.
“High pressure water jetting was the fastest, safest and most precise way to release the bearings, so played a significant part in the project’s success.
“All our water jetters undergo WJA’s accredited training, which is augmented by our own induction and ongoing training programme, to ensure hydrodemolition systems are safe.”
WJA director David Kennedy said: “Water jetting proved itself to be the fastest, most sustainable and least disruptive way to carry out these major repairs.”
Freyssinet teams used a system of hydraulic jacks with a maximum capacity of 8,000 tonnes to simultaneously lift bridge sections a maximum of 3mm, unloading the eight bearings beneath each girder without hindering traffic.
Aquaforce used Calder MultiJet 120 trailer-mounted pumps and handheld jetting guns operating at an average 1100 bar (17,000 PSI) at a water flowrate of 48 litres per minute, with each team using approximately 10m³ of water per shift.
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