Description of Works
The biggest issue when carrying out a structural survey in a marine environment is getting access to all structurally integral areas of the construction in question. For this project, our client needed to know the state of a jetty in the Thames, including piles beneath the waterline. For this, we utilised a team of divers to carry out a visual inspection.
The diver survey found a large crack and a substantial area of missing concrete to a pile just below some cross bracing. This was troubling because if left untreated, the reinforcement in the concrete; now exposed to the salt environment, would heavily corrode and therefore be at risk of compromising the structural integrity. Fortunately, we discovered this before any issues could arise and the client was able to take actions to rectify the problem.
Other works included Cover and carbonation testing, Ferroscanning, Chloride Ion testing, Schmidt Hammer Testing and Concrete Coring. All tests found evidence of corrosion to exposed reinforcement. Whilst this isn’t news a client would be happy to hear, it is to be expected in environments exposed to salt spray. It also meant that our client was able to take preventative measures to rectify the problems, rather than the much more undesirable reactive measures.
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