Innovative Solutions

When you need a lighter, thinner and more durable material than conventional products, Ductal^® offers an excellent solution. Some of its characteristics include:

• As a leave-in-place form for bridge columns the thin skin will protect the column from freeze-thaw, chloride brim splashes and more, limiting long-term maintenance.
• As a thin section to encase elements or protect the surface against impact or abrasion by allowing for quick repairs without the need for forms or extensive on-site curing.
• Used in place of traditional steel piles: with a similar driving process and the added advantage of never losing its integrity in solid conditions where water is an issue.

Our Ductal^® precast elements include a range of applications:

• Columns
• Beams
• Shells (roof systems)
• Leave-in-place forms
• Piles
• Plates

Solution Focus: Waffle Slabs

When your key consideration is the weight of the bridge deck compared with its load-bearing capacity, using a Ductal^® waffle slab solution could be the ideal answer. Ductal^® offers superior load-bearing ability at ⅔ the weight of a typical deck, removing the need to alter the supporting structure and foundations.

Discover what waffle slab solutions brought to a completed project in Wapello County, Iowa

When deck joints leak and water and/or chlorides reach the supporting girders, deterioration can occur quickly. Ductal^® is the alternative to typical expansion joints. Steel fibers in the Ductal^® formulation allows for the deformation via tight micro-cracks while still providing a watertight matrix.

The benefits of Ductal^® UHPC link slabs include:

• Elimination of joints that will leak and cause deterioration of the deck and the supporting girders.
• Limiting deformation to micro-cracks, while maintaining the integrity of the slab due to the strain hardening capability.
• Ability to be used on new construction or to replace existing joints, providing long-term durability and reducing the need for maintenance.

Whether to increase traffic capacity, evolve according to new standards and regulations or improve safety, bridge widening ensure your bridge adapts to changing needs over time. Ductal^® can respond to those demands by providing a technically sound, precast solution with minimum impact on the existing structure.

Due to its high mechanical performances, Ductal^® precast slabs offer the following bridge widening benefits:

• Cost-savings: optimal weight/size ratio to reduce the load on the existing structure - simplifies the on-site work and minimizes total job time.
• Highly durable: impervious, resistant to chemical attacks, freeze-thaw cycle, deicing salt and carbonation.
• Extended lifespan.

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La Tine bridge, Ductal® widening bridge solution, Switzerland

Throughout their lifetimes, structures such as bridges need to be repaired or reinforced to respond to changing demands including load (increased traffic), weather (freeze-thaw cycle) or chemical attack (chloride and carbonation).

Post tensioning is used in structure reinforcement and when combined with Ductal^®, it becomes an optimal reinforcement solution. Ductal^®’s high performance including high compressive and tensile strength allows engineers to reduce the size of each anchor (by reducing the amount of rebar within a block) while increasing the post-tensioning load.

Positive results include:

• Easy to manufacture, transport and implement resulting in cost optimizations.
• Reduces anchor block size to ensure respect of existing road dimensions.
• Allows for continued structure use during repairs, reducing impact on surrounding population.

Ductal^® for prestressing can be used in both precast or cast-on-site anchors blocks. This technology is most often used on existing structures but the technology can also be used on new structures and buildings.

Findout more with the Hammersmith Flyover project in London, UK.

Hammersmith Flyover, London, UK, Post Tension Anchorage