Critical repairs on Column 20B completed
VolkerLaser was contracted by Middlesbrough Council to undertake concrete repairs and bearing replacement on the A66 in Middlesbrough.
Situated in Middlesbrough, the A66 flyover, located near the railway station, is a major road in Northern England providing access in and out of the town. During an initial inspection undertaken, critical water damage was identified, particularly affecting Column 20B, a key structural beam. The inspection revealed that the bearings had ceased to work, restricting the bridges movement, causing detrimental stress to the adjacent beam. As a result, it was therefore essential to undertake structural repairs to extend the lifespan of the flyover.
Our specialist team was responsible for the design and installation of two sets of temporary works - one to support the beams during repairs and another to support the bridge for jacking to facilitate bearing replacement and strengthening of Column 20B.
Works began in September last year and involved a series of complex procedures to ensure the main structure of the A66 flyover remained operational. Initial works began with the installation of temporary works to accommodate extensive beam removal. The beams were intentionally weakened using hydro-demolition, which removed the old and damaged concrete.
With the beams structurally stable, our team constructed new temporary works to lift the bridge up by 1.5 millimetres to replace the old bearings and repair the column. Once our specialist team had ensured structural integrity, they began preparing for galvanic protection works by installing sacrificial anodes into the beams and bridge to reinforce the new and old concrete and the steel reinforcements within, to protect further corrosion.
Due to the nature of the project, traffic management was required. Several short-term night closures were implemented during the jacking and de-jacking operations along with the beam concrete pours. For the rest of the project, partial lane closures were put in place to ensure minimal disruption to traffic flow.
The project was completed at the end of September 2024.
