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The same team that worked on the Forth Road Bridge cable
inspections in 2004 has been appointed to install state of the art
dehumidification equipment on the main cables of the bridge. The Forth Estuary
Transport Authority (FETA) has approved the appointment of C Spencer Ltd to
carry out the work. Bennett Associates will be working alongside C Spencer Ltd
on the £7.8m contract.
C Spencer and Bennett Associates were involved in the unwrapping
and original internal investigation of the cables of the Forth Road Bridge in
2004. The inspection revealed that the cables had suffered significant
corrosion; the current loss of strength, as verified by a Scottish
Executive-commissioned independent audit, is believed to be in the region of 8
to 10 percent. The discovery of corrosion in older suspension bridges in the USA
prompted FETA to become the first European bridge authority to carry out an
internal cable inspection.
A package of measures was put in place by FETA to monitor the
corrosion and minimise further deterioration. Dehumidification was quickly
identified as the best line of defence against further corrosion.
C Spencer, working in collaboration with Bennett Associates, will
install equipment that will inject dry air into the main two cables of the Forth
Road Bridge . Dehumidification works on the principle that if the relative
humidity of the air within the cable is reduced to 40 percent, then corrosion
cannot occur.
Related links:
 Innovative
Solutions for First Forth Bridge Inspection
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