Bersche-Rolt’s patented stainless steel masonry reinforcement systems are designed and installed to provide non-disruptive and concealed solutions for the repair and strengthening of masonry arch bridges.
Testing carried out by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Bradford demonstrated that the installation of Bersche-Rolt reinforcement in the direction of the arch span can increase the in-service performance of the arch and its strength by up to 50%.
The reinforcement design and installation techniques will vary according to the loading requirements, the desired final appearance of the bridge and the extent and type of any damage, which may include arch ring separation, spandrel wall movement and bulging, circumferential cracking, and voids caused by loss of fill from poor drainage and leaching.
Circumferential reinforcement is installed in the arch intrados either by cutting grooves in the underside of the arch or by drilling holes under its surface using an advanced directional drilling technique we have developed in-house.
This innovative method of installing reinforcement in the subsurface zones of the intrados leaves the appearance of the arch virtually unaltered, avoiding the appearance of groove marks created by cutting directly into its surface. This method also allows waste materials to be more easily contained and controlled, and provides an improved bond between the reinforcement and masonry, while ensuring any voids that may be present are filled with our cementitious bonding mortar.
Lateral reinforcement is installed in transverse holes drilled across the arch barrel. Depending on the condition of the masonry, a woven sleeve may be placed around the reinforcement to ensure the bonding mortar is contained within the hole. The reinforcement layout can also be extended to include the spandrel, wing and parapet walls and abutments.
