MCI technology applied on Peljesac Bridge providing road link

Connecting Croatia’s Peljesac peninsula with the mainland to bypass a short stretch of the Bosnia and Herzegovina coastline started three years ago.

The project is worth €550m, although most of the funding came from the European Union.

ln order to meet the main criteria of quality design, such as stability, durability, economy, and integration into the environment, the inventive design proposed the construction of an extra dosed bridge with an integrated hybrid structure comprising of five central spans, each 285-m long, and six low pylons.  Especially careful approach was taken to ensure durability for the extended lifespan of over 130 years.

Cortec’s MCI2018 was specified on this project during the design phase as a silane-based impregnation with a migrating inhibitor property to protect against the harmful effects of corrosion, thus extending the service life of the bridge. MCI 2018 is a 100% silane-based concrete sealer containing migrating corrosion inhibitors that allows deep penetration into concrete and provides water repellence by chemically reacting with the cementitious substrate. It seals surface pores, preventing the intrusion of chlorides, reduces carbonation, and protects from the ingress of wind-driven rain.

Treated concrete surfaces are fully breathable and their natural moisture-vapor transmission is not affected. After repair of surface damage and cleaning of discolorations and other surface defects, the concrete surface of the pylons needed to be protected with a colorless silane coating to improve durability and increase the resistance of the concrete surface to long-term external influences. MCI-2018 carries CE certification that indicates conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA).

Application of MCI-2018

A combination of AC coatings, cathodic protection of steel reinforcement in piles and pile heads, a concrete cover of 65–85mm stainless steel reinforcement and impregnation of all concrete surfaces with MCI-2018 was chosen as the strategy to help the bridge achieve a 130-year service life. MCI-2018 was applied on the entire substructure of the bridge. All concrete parts were coated with MCI-2018 by a spraying technique. The work was performed in accordance with the project requirements and after surface preparation to full functionality. This included:

• Access to pylons
• Rehabilitation of the concrete surface of the pylons
• Cleaning the concrete surface of the pylon (washing the pillars with water)
• Impregnation of the concrete surface of the pylon with MCI-2018.