About This Project

In May of 2003 the installation of Bridge Preservation’s cold liquid elastomeric waterproofing system was completed for the Canadian Pacific Railroad project CP Span Mile 176.71 Bellville Subdivision. The cold liquid elastomeric waterproofing installation was completed at the Lousbourg Construction Services manufacturing facility using their available spray-booth.

The project began with sandblasting the steel deck segments to a surface finish of SP10 with a 3-5 mil profile, ideal for receiving Bridge Preservation’s Steel Deck Primer. The primer was applied within four hours of the sandblasting, which is essential to ensure the steel surface hasn’t “bloomed” with any oxidation that could interfere with the bond to the steel surface. Following priming, the steel segments were installed onto the support girders and bolted into place.

It was discovered that the segments, when erected, left a 5/8” gap between the plates. This gap would create a stress point should a piece of ballast come in contact with the sharp edge. The decision was made to fill the gap with cementitious material. Following the filling of the gaps, all residue left by the cement based fill material was removed using an acetone wipe to ensure a proper bond between the membrane and the primed steel surface. Primer was reapplied to affected areas prior to the waterproofing application.

Immediately following the reapplication of primer, the entire deck was coated using Bridge Preservation’s Bridge Deck Membrane cold liquid elastomeric waterproofing. Quality Assurance inspection and testing were conducted and recorded throughout the application by a certified Bridge Preservation Inspector, becoming part of the project record.