Investigation Works & Testing of Bridges-Technical Works

CERS Structural Rehabilitation through its vast and experienced team of Civil Engineers, a specialized working staff and owned equipment is in place to conduct several Investigation Works to Bridges & Technical Works in Highways of any size.
Additionally, cooperation with acknowledged and certified Concrete Testing Laboratories is provided.
The scope of the investigation works, is to define and report all technical characteristics of the Technical Works (geometry, quality features and current structural condition assessment)
The tests and investigation works CERS conducts are:

1. Concrete tests
    • Non-destructive methods
Steel nail Pull out Testing, Schmidt Rebound Hammer Testing, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Testing, alkalinity measurements, chloride concentration measurements, humidity imprint, electrical resistance measurements, half-cell potential measurements and chemical analysis.
    • Destructive methods
Concrete Core Testing.

2. Steel rebars tests
    • Non-destructive methods
Magnetic method (FerroScan), Electromagnetic method (C-Scan), steel hardness measurements, corrosion rate measurements.
    • Destructive methods
Uncovering and sampling, tension tests and chemical composition of steel rebars (welding capacity).

3. Other actions
In addition to the above, CERS also investigates the following:

• Cracks and damages of concrete
• Corroded steel bars
• Asphalt thickness
• Geometrical characteristics of structural elements
• Chemical composition of any collected liquid (e.g. from within the voids of the concrete deck slab)

From the analysis of the results the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The concrete classification per structural element (compressive strength)
2. The steel rebar classification according to the relative Standard.
3. The chemical analysis of the existing steel rebars (e.g. weldable or not).
4. The existing steel rebars corrosion level (in the visible cross beams, in the side beams of the central  longitudinal joint and in the connection between Piers and the Piers themselves).
5. The concrete strength deviations and other quality parameters related to the construction.
6. Indications of chemical attack in any number of structural elements.
7. Chloride concentration and the classification within limits or not.
8. Carbonation depth and the correlation with concrete coverage thickness.
9. Concrete cracks mapping both of the deck slab and the retaining walls.
10. Identification and report of all regarding foundation characteristics (e.g. humidity protective measures implementation).
11. The asphalt layer characteristics (e.g. cracks).
12. The existing side barriers characteristics.
13. Investigation for geometric asymmetries.