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Real-World Experiences with Fusion-CreteŽ |
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Repairing Rounded Ends of Two Bridge Abutments in a Flood-Control Channel |
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(click on thumbnails for enlarged photos) |
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This is one of two severely damaged rounded ends of 8-inch thick walls supporting a bridge over a flood-control channel. |
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These rounded abutments, facing upstream, were damaged by a variety of debris being slammed against them by raging floodwaters during heavy rainstorms. |
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It was believed that these abutments were not repairable because the specifications by the controlling Public Works Engineer called for the complete restoration of the 8-inch diameter rounded ends of these bridge abutments. Repairing these abutments in accordance with said specifications would require a product that would not only enable the repair concrete to bond permanently to the jagged, damaged ends, but also allow for the shaping of the repair material to match the rounded ends precisely. |
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Prior to commencing the repair work, all of the damaged areas, as well as the exposed rebar, were thoroughly wire-brushed to clean these surfaces and to remove any loose particles, dirt, rust, etc., a prerequisite for obtaining a solid, permanent bond between the old and new materials. Beginning at the base of each abutment, small, successive applications of FUSION-CRETEŽ 5-MINUTE CONCRETE were used to repair these two abutments. FUSION-CRETEŽ 5-MINUTE CONCRETE is a 2-component product comprised of a magnesium oxide compound as the dry component and a liquid phosphate activator as the second component. |
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Silica sand (#30-mesh) was first thoroughly mixed with the dry component. Just prior to adding the liquid activator to the dry mix, the estimated area that will be covered by the next application was primed with some liquid activator, using a brush for this priming. Since the prime coat should be wet or tacky when the repair material is applied, the appropriate amount of liquid activator was then immediately added to the dry mixture and both thoroughly mixed together. Combining the liquid activator with the dry mixture initiates a chemical induction process which first causes the mixture to develop a dough-like consistency in the process of hardening. Since this product becomes rock-hard literally in five minutes, it is necessary to work quickly and effectively in order to be successful. While still in the dough-like consistency, the material is quickly applied to the repair area and the shaping process is begun immediately, using rubber-gloved hands, appropriate tool (s) and a sponge saturated with ordinary tap water. |
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While the application of numerous small, successive repair mixtures may appear to be a tedious process, this is certainly much faster and substantially less expensive than the alternative of cutting these abutment walls back 2 to 3 feet from top to bottom, completely removing the cut-out portions of the walls, drilling and doweling into the ends of the remaining walls, reforming and re-pouring new, rounded abutments and then stripping the forms, removing all of the debris, etc.. The savings could amount to thousands of dollars, since the total cost of the repair materials used was under $500.00. |
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Here you see the Public Works employee working his way upward on one of the damaged abutments. The FUSION-CRETEŽ 5-MINUTE CONCRETE will bond permanently to the damaged surfaces, the steel rebar and to prior applications of the repair material and may be nicely feathered into the damaged areas and also feathered out to absolute zero where required. It will develop a compressive strength of approximately 4,500 psi within 2 hours and will reach a compressive strength of 9,000 to 10,000 psi in 28 days. This is also a totally non-shrink material. |
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As you can see, this repair material has worked beautifully, enabling the original rounded contours of these abutments to be matched with precision. |
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If desired, these repaired abutments may be resurfaced with a thin FUSION-CRETEŽ-modified concrete slurry mixture, applied by paint brush or paint roller, in order to camouflage the repair work and to renew the exposed surfaces with a waterproof, protective coating. Such a coating could be applied with Portland cement, silica sand, water and a FUSION-CRETEŽ concrete-adhesive/enhancer product. |
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This view shows one of the repaired abutments with the repair material blending nicely into the contour of the undamaged upper portion of the abutment. |
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Here you see an entire support wall with the repaired rounded end, a portion of the bridge and another area of the flood-control channel beyond the bridge. |
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This final photograph of this project shows the entire bridge and both of the repaired abutments.
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| Time required: One man completed all of this repair work, using FUSION-CRETEŽ 5-MINUTE CONCRETE, in only two 8-hour days. | |