BRIDGE 34 – GOTHERINGTON – FINAL REPORT & SUMMARY
ON REPAIRS (11.3.18)
This is the longest bridge on the railway and it had
leaking deck plates, leading to corrosion of major steel structural beams. Deep
ballast led to rotting of timber ballast boards and the vertical steel ballast
retaining plates. End of deck brick ballast retaining walls had partly
collapsed allowing ballast to slip onto the bearings and into the road. This
problem and, as the end of deck drains
were too high, allowed water to get onto the padstones and exacerbate the corrosion
of the steel and cause the padstone to wear quicker. Also some padstones were
too short and the steel was overhanging them. This led to vertical movement of
the track bearers when trains were passing. The main structural steelwork to
the underside of the bridge had not been cleaned or painted for at least 37
years (more likely 50 years) allowing corrosion to proceed more quickly. The
repair and construction works were completed in 7 weeks despite sub-zero
temperature mixed with almost continuous rain during January.
The following photos illustrate
samples of the problems and the work done to rectify them:-
1. Removing old ballast & waterproofing (5.1.18).
2. Encapsulating the entire bridge ready for shot
blasting and painting. (22.1.18)
3. Cross beam connection showing corrosion
(21.10.14).
4. Cross beam connection after blasting and painting
(2.2.18).
5. Cross girder notched and overhanging padstone
(29.1.18).
6. Cross girder repaired (28.1.18).
7. Track bearer corrosion and notching and overhanging
padstone (17.1.18).
8. Track bearer repair (28.1.18).
9. Padstone built up and grouted (also bottom flange
repair) (30.1.18).
10. Holes in
deck plates (8.1.18).
11. Cutting
plates for repairs (19.1.18).
12. Deck plate
repairs completed (28.1.18).
13. End drip
plates welded on (26.1.18).
14. Ballast
board and vertical steel ballast plate corrosion and timber ballast board rot
(10.1.18)
15. Down side showing replacement ballast plates (19.1.18).
16. Blast
cleaning deck for waterproofing (7.2.18).
17. Deck after
orange priming (8.2.18).
18. Up side
deck after waterproofing (white) (9.2.18).
19. View of
deck – down side quilted, up side waterproofed (9.2.18).
20. Up side
showing ballast walls being built (2.2.18).
21. View
showing end of deck drains (12.2.18).
22. Down side with sleeper
laying just started (21.2.18).
23. Down side
view with track re-laid (7.3.18).
24. View of
cleared former sleeper storage yard at Gotherington (7.3.18).
25. View at road level towards Gotherington
John Balderstone, Bridge Engineer.
