Wire Spiral to Repair Damaged Bridge

When the quake struck, the old bridge tends to break rather than bend. A new repair technique using spiral wire network could restore function to an earlier bridge. 

Shrink-wrap repairs fast. (Picture from: http://www.newscientist.com/)

Repair damaged bridge usually be done in two ways, namely, fiber-reinforced engineering polymer (FRP) and concrete jacket. FRP technique requires a period of one week to apply. You do this by injecting a special resin into the concrete rubble. 

The technique is done by wrapping the jacket concrete pillars were damaged by a new layer of a more powerful technique is to take more than one week to apply to the building. 

Building material research team from the University of Illinois, United States, introduced a new improved technique called shape memory alloy (SMA). Wire used in this technique as an early form of memory to save the building. When heated, the wire going back into shape. 

To apply the SMA techniques, researchers first clean concrete debris that is still attached to the building. The missing piece then quickly filled with dry mortar. 

Buildings that have been repaired and then bandaged using a wire made from a mixture of nickel-titanium-niobium with spiral nets. This wire is stretched out first, but could return retracts when heated with a welding flame. As a result of this shortening, spiral netting to put pressure on the concrete and uphold the law.

"The other technique requires more work and more time. This new technique does not require special skills, heating wire can be done within a few hours," said lead researcher, Bassem Andrawes. 

According to physicists building of the University of Nottingham, England, David Grant, extreme temperatures are given in the wire to give significant results in SMA technique. 

The plan, helpless spiral wire technique to remember is to be installed in several bridges in Illinois. Installation is as well to test the durability of this technique to environmental changes. *** [NEWSCIENTIST | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3814]

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