About This Project

Between April 17 and May 12, 2013 Bridge Tite Group installed 12,000 square feet of Bridge Preservation™ Bridge Deck Membrane spray applied rail waterproofing on five new bridges, part of Metrolinx’s Georgetown South Rail Corridor West Bridges Expansion.

Three of the bridges were concrete and the surfaces of each were prepared to Bridge Preservation’s standards (SSPC-SP13/NACE No.6). After a suitable surface was obtained, Bridge Preservation™ Concrete Primer was installed. This primer is water-thin and is able to migrate into the pours of the concrete, helping to seal the surface from outgassing and dramatically increasing the bond strength of the spray applied rail waterproofing membrane to the concrete. The remaining two bridges were steel, and their deck surfaces were prepared by abrasive blasting to SSPC-SP10 Near White Blast (3-5 mil profile).

Throughout the installation process there were intermittent bouts of rain, which caused some delays for Bridge Tite Group. While water does not affect the cure of the membrane, it can affect the bond strength to the surface. Bridge Tite Group carefully dried and cleaned any surfaces exposed to rain prior to resuming the spray applied rail waterproofing installation. Additional adhesion testing was performed as part of Bridge Preservation’s Quality Control program, ensuring that the surface was still suitable for the membrane installation. The results of the adhesion tests were over 700 PSI, well above Bridge Preservation’s minimum requirements.

Bridge Preservation’s Quality Control program requires that all aspects of the spray applied rail waterproofing installation are recorded daily: environmental conditions, surface preparation, product information and placement, and photos. Oversight throughout the installation process ensures that the products are installed correctly and the installation is successful.