FILLMASTER BRIDGES THE GAP
 Fillmaster
from Vencel Resil was chosen to upgrade the Hoole Road Bridge in
Chester. Originally built in the 1880s, the 15 brick pier road
bridge was designed to take a maximum load of only 7.5 tonnes and
was therefore unable to cope with modern traffic loading.
Cheshire City Council, the client on this project, faced several
issues, the first of which was a weakness in the underlying soil on
three of the pier sections. This meant that a concrete block
structure could only be used in two out of the five arches that
needed strengthening.
Expanded polystyrene in the form of Fillmaster by Vencel Resil
provided the perfect solution, being both lightweight and extremely
strong.
Fillmaster has a track record in the UK of providing solutions for
many different civil engineering applications where traditional fill
materials are unable to meet specific site requirements. It is
particularly effective as a lightweight, cost-effective solution for
bridge underfill applications where the structure requires greater
support.
Patrick Savage, Engineering Manager from APB Group Ltd – the Civil
Engineering Contractor carrying out the works - explains: "The
weakness in the soil structure on these three pier sections meant
that we needed a much lighter fill material than concrete to avoid
overloading the underlying ground structure and Fillmaster provided
the perfect solution.”
The ground on the three sections of the bridge that used Fillmaster
were capped off using a concrete base and the walls lined with a
mortar based system, before the whole structure was waterproofed.
Fillmaster was then positioned on the concrete base and built up to
the level of the horizontal sections that supported the road.
The load bearing properties of Fillmaster meant that the new
structure provided the necessary support to the road. The transfer
of the load from the bridge was done using a special resin between
the top of the Fillmaster and underside of the bridge structure.
Fillmaster is recognised for its loadbearing capabilities and the
product is available in a range of sizes and strength grades – FM300
was used on this particular project. It is the cellular structure of
the Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) that gives Fillmaster its high
strength-to-weight ratio, ensuring that the blocks are able to
withstand the mechanical loads encountered on these types of
projects.
Additional strength was provided on this bridge by replacing some of
the existing iron sections with stronger bearing elements. This
central sections of the bridge, that crossed the railway, were of
adequate strength as they were made from wrought iron. The bridge
extended over several hundred metres and the upgrading was required
only on the outer sections, where iron was used, to a maximum load
of 7.5 tonnes. The unusual design of the bridge – being long and low
- was originally intended to avoid the need for a hump back bridge
over the railway. Once the Fillmaster was in place, a block
structure was used to create the end caps to each pier section,
before finally finishing with a more decorative brick out wall.
Richard Nash, the Commercial Manager for APB Group Ltd, which
carried out the upgrade, explains: “We used Fillmaster on the three
pier sections that had the weak ground structure because it was both
lightweight and strong. Fillmaster provided a lightweight solution
that reduced strain on the ground, whilst supporting the bridge’s
structure.”
Fillmaster is available in a range of grades offering compressive
strengths between 10kPa (FM50) and 190kPa (FM500)
In addition to its physical properties, expanded polystyrene is easy
to handle and compatible with rapid construction techniques, which
is a major benefit for contractors. As part of modern methods of
construction, it can be transported to site in the minimum number of
loads, producing less waste and with no negative environmental
impact.
Expanded polystyrene has environmental benefits too as it is HCFC-free
and non toxic. The material is also extremely versatile as its
closed-cell formation inhibits absorption of water and therefore
avoids all of the problems of waterlogging and drainage that are
associated with other fill materials.
Email:
technical@vencel.co.uk
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