Bridge construction

and rehabilitation

Systems that take a load

off your mind
Hilti. Outperform. Outlast.

1
 Reinforcement and Bridge equipment
rehabilitation of structures

• Post-installed reinforcement Page 4 – 7 • Noise barriers Page 12 – 13

• Concrete overlays – HCC shear connectors Page 8 – 9 • Crash barriers Page 14 – 15

• Anchoring edge beams Page 10 – 11 • Railings, poles and gantries Page 16 – 17

• Anchoring curbstones • Expansion joints

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 Bridge construction
and rehabilitation

Bridge drainage Fields of competence

and pipe systems

• Bridge drainage Page 18 – 19 • Fastenings under dynamic loading Page 20 – 21

• Supporting substructures for services Page 18 – 19 • Corrosion Page 22 – 23

(gas, water, district heating pipes,
electricity, telecommunications)

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Just like cast-in.
Post-installed rebar joints.

The application

General reinforced Hilti rebar concept

Today, thanks to Hilti injectable adhesive mortars, the creation of rigid structural
concrete standards
joints between new and existing concrete sections presents no great difficulty.
The principle is exactly the same as in conventional reinforced concrete structures
As · fy where use is made of overlapping rebar splices or rebars are anchored over
sufficient length.
s eff
s min

c min c eff Post-installed rebar splice

The length of overlap required at the splice is, as usual, decisively influenced by the
strength of the surrounding concrete. In order to take the special conditions of the
post-installation technique into account, Hilti has developed a new, more advanced
design concept. This makes allowance for the actual spacing and edge distances
of the reinforcing bars as well as the effect that transverse reinforcement (stirrups,
mesh, etc.) has on the cracking or splitting behavior of the concrete.

Anchoring straight rebars

Fastening short anchors in concrete, by now an everyday technique, takes advan-

tage of the tensile strength of concrete – an approach that may initially seem
somewhat unusual in the field of concrete construction. In order to take all aspects
of the relevant forces and conditions into account, Hilti to allow setting post-
installed rebars at considerably greater depths of embedment.

4
Hilti HIT: power injection

If structural modifications are to maintain their required effectiveness in the long term,
the jointing technique used must function reliably even with large-diameter rebars
and, above all, at great depths of embedment. With the Hilti HIT injection technique,
rebars of up to 40 mm in diameter can be anchored securely over a length of more
than 3 meters.

The quick and efficient Hilti HIT P-8000 D pneumatic dispenser is used to inject
Hilti HIT-HY 150 and HIT-RE 500 adhesive mortars from large-capacity (1400 ml)
cartridges in the correct mix ratio.

High demands on structural joints

In contrast to many lighter-duty fastenings used in building construction, bridge

structures must be able to take up dynamic loads over decades. Engineers must
therefore always be able to rely on structural joints to achieve the loading capacity
for which they have been designed. Long-term loading and fatigue tests and
constant quality control thus come as standard with Hilti HIT.

A new punch line

Where bridge decks are widened the question of transferring the increased loads into
the main structure arises. By extending the post-installed rebar technology, Hilti has
developed a strengthening concept to avoid punching of concrete slabs and beams.
It allows the ex-post installation of additional – effective – shear reinforcement,
as well as its correct design and dimensioning.

5
Because strength runs deep.
Hilti HIT injectable adhesive mortar.

Optimum loadbearing characteristics

Only a perfectly balanced system (mortar strength, stiffness, slip and behaviour)
can ensure that a post-installed rebar behaves just like cast-in reinforcement.

Ferroscan PS 200 system

300
Steel tension measured (N/mm2)

250

200 Cast-in rebar

Hilti HIT-HY 150

HIT P 8000 D Hilti HIT-RE 500

150
Rigid epoxy resin
pneumatic dispenser mortar

100

50

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600
Depth of embedment (mm)
HIT-RE 500 injection mortar
The diagram clearly illustrates the effectiveness of HIT-HY 150 and HIT-RE 500
injectable adhesive mortars compared to conventional systems. Loads are taken
up evenly by the concrete, without stress peaks, and thus transferred optimally
to the existing reinforcement.
Load transfer achieved by Hilti HIT-HY150 and HIT-RE500 is therefore comparable
to a cast-in connection.

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Reliable corrosion protection

Many synthetic resin mortars are acidic by nature. In contrast to the highly alkaline
moisture content present in the pores of the concrete, this means that they provide
no inherent long-term protection from corrosion.
The Hilti HIT-HY 150 and HIT-RE 500 injectable adhesive mortar systems solve this
TE 76-ATC combihammer
problem in two completely different ways.

Hilti HIT-HY 150 is a so-called hybrid system (HY). The mortar contains both organic
components (synthetic resin, hardener system) as well as inorganic components
(cement, water, quartz sand). This system, on the one hand, thus takes advantage of
the rapid curing characteristics of the synthetic resin and, on the other, also benefits
from the long-term behaviour, porosity and permeability provided by the hardened
cement. In terms of corrosion behavior, this means that Hilti HIT HY150 has a passi-
vating effect on the post-installed rebar, except where the concrete has a chloride
content. The corrosion protection provided is thus identical to that of the concrete
surrounding conventional cast-in reinforcement.

Hilti HIT-RE 500 has an epoxy resin base. It also contains cement which, among other
things, raises its pH-value. Compared to concrete, the mortar is also very dense and
HIT Rebar kit
impermeable and thus protects the rebar from corrosion. The degree of protection
provided has been proven to be better than that of conventional cast-in rebars.

Suitability for jobsite use

Today, with a range of professional drilling, hole-cleaning and injection aids available
from Hilti, structural rebar joints can be installed reliably at great depths of embed-
ment – on any jobsite.
Accessories for hole cleaning and
mortar injection

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Work together.
Because strong bonds pay dividends.

The application

In many cases, existing transport infrastructures in industrialized countries are over

thirty years old. From a technical point of view, they’ve already reached the end of the
lifespan they were designed to achieve.

Concrete overlays strengthen structures

The addition of highly reinforced concrete overlays is today the preferred method when
it comes to meeting requirements in terms of increased cross sections or additional
loads such as in the installation of heavy-duty crash barriers or high noise barrier walls.

When cost-efficiency counts

A new layer of concrete is bonded to existing concrete slabs, thus providing additional
rigidity, higher loading capacity and longer life expectancy.

An existing bridge can be widened, strengthened and brought up to the latest techni-
cal status at about only 30 – 40% of the cost of a new structure.
Shear transfer through tension in fastener
and diagonal surface compression
Monolithic design

Concrete overlays on bridges typically have a thickness of between 100 and 160 mm.
If this additional structural height is to be taken into account in design calculations,
then genuine monolithic behavior of the structure must be ensured.

HCC-B concrete connector

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Join forces.
Team up with the Hilti HCC-B shear connector.

Shear load transfer through tensile forces (kN)

As joints under shear can be required to take up very high forces, particularly at the 30
edges of components and at junctions in the concrete, shear load transfer must be
20
achieved by roughening the applicable concrete surface (R T > 3mm). The loads on
15
the connectors are then predominantly tensile and act in the direction in which they 10
display much more rigid behavior. The greater the rigidity of the connector, the higher
its contribution to the system
0 1 2 3
= 0.05 mm (mm)
= 0.2 mm
Hilti HCC-B shear connector
High stiffness of the connection due
to optimized head geometry
• Internal injection (for reliable filling of the hole, even in water-filled holes)
• Frictional hold between the connector and the wall of the hole: The connector
can be adjusted precisely – it then remains in position, making geodetic alignment
of the reinforcement relative to the new concrete surface an easily feasible task
under jobsite conditions.
• Radially symmetrical headed connectors: The direction of action of shear forces
is irrelevant. The connector acts as a rugged rebar tie that keeps the reinforce-
ment where it should be, even after the concrete is poured.

This system of optimally matched components ranging from high-performance Hilti

rotary hammers, Hilti HIT injectable adhesive mortar in the unique foil pack, a range
of dispensers of various types, all the way to the HCC-B shear connector itself,
has proved its reliability in countless projects.
Rounded off by a complete design concept with associated software, planners and
engineers quickly realize that this system is the one to rely on.

Design concept and matching software

9
Edging ahead.
Anchoring edge beams on bridge structures.

The application

Where bridge structures are exposed to attack by road salt or other corrosive sub-
stances, provision is generally made for a bitumen or liquid plastic sealing layer.

Bridges also often feature an edge beam that’s not part of the primary structure and
is separated from the bridge deck by the sealing layer. This edge beam, nevertheless,
must be capable of taking up the high forces of a vehicle impact (crash barriers) as
well as wind loads (noise barriers).

The sealing membrane is penetrated by the anchors installed for this purpose, so
suitable measures must be taken to ensure proper sealing by a suitable and practical
means.

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Sealed lips.
But there’s no secret – just a proven, patented solution.

The salt solution deposited on the membrane often remains moist throughout the year
and, in extreme cases, can warm up during the summer months to become a highly
corrosive substance. When concrete is removed during bridge repair work, hot-dip
galvanized anchors are frequently found to have been almost totally destroyed by
corrosion.

Optimally anchored and well sealed

For anchoring edge beams, Hilti generally recommends stainless steel or other highly
corrosion-resistant adhesive anchors of a type suitable for use in the concrete tension
zone. The seal is achieved by injecting an epoxy resin mortar through a patented Edge beam fastening with the HVZ-HCR
HIW sealing washer. adhesive anchor and HW-FC sealing
washer
The seal provided by this solution has been tested and verified by an independent
testing agency in accordance with RVS 15.04.12.

Maximum flexibility in the choice of anchor

The main advantage of this solution is that the seal achieved functions almost
entirely independently of the type of anchor used.
The following types are suitable:
• Various well-proven types (e.g. HVZ, HIT-TZ, HAS)
• Various materials (e.g. A4, HCR 1.4529)
• Various diameters (M16 or M20)

11
Noise barriers.
Advanced fastening solutions.

The application

Noise barriers run along the edge of roads, motorways and railways without gaps
or interruptions that would reduce their effectiveness. Moreover, the trend today is
clearly toward installation of higher and higher noise barriers. Noise protection
walls rising to a height of four, five or even six meters are no longer unusual.
The bridges on which these noise barriers have to be installed, however, are often
slender, 30-year-old structures which were designed, at that time, to save costs.

Wind – a ruthless opponent

Demanding requirements are the order of the day when it comes to fastening solu-
tions for noise barriers – and the requirements to be met vary considerably:
• Large areas of attack in exposed locations demand systems that offer optimum
performance under dynamic loading conditions and thus the ability to withstand
strong gusts
• Extremely high corrosion resistance requirements due to the high risk rating
of the application
• Ease of dismantling (in the event of accident damage)
• The possibility of increasing barrier height at a later date using existing anchor
points

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Theory and practice.
Transferring loads to structural reinforcement.

High forces demand space

One of the principles of fastening: High loads demand that anchors are widely
spaced and set well away from edges. But the space that’s needed to achieve this
is usually not available on narrow bridge sections and edge beams. Traditional
anchor solutions and the design principles on which they are based are often simply
not applicable. The task frequently demands the installation of elaborate substruc-
tures designed to transfer the resulting loads to points where they can be taken
up successfully (see lower photo on page 12).

Rebar theory – the solution to the space problem

Problems of this kind can often be solved by employing the principles of rebar theory
(see pages 4 – 7) and designing the fastening along the lines of a rebar splice where
loads are taken up by the existing reinforcement in the structure, rather than relying
on the tensile strength of the concrete (anchor theory).

Structural steel fasteners for concrete specialists:

Hilti HZA-R and HZA-HCR

• BSt500 with factory-welded threaded rod in A4 (1.4401) or HCR (1.4529) steel –

for optimum corrosion resistance and good load transfer
• Full load capacity utilization up to yield point at edge distances of only a few
centimeters

Space problem solved by applying rebar

splice theory

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38 tons at 65 km/h.
It takes some stopping.

The application

Restraint systems and barriers of various kinds on bridges are usually anchored to
the edge beams or bridge deck. Today, adhesive anchors (also known as chemical
anchors) are mainly used for this purpose.
• Thanks to their gentle load-transfer characteristics, these anchors are able to
dissipate shock loads without splitting the edge beam in the event of an impact.
• In large-scale applications of this kind, the good price-performance ratio offered
by adhesive anchors, as well as their resistance to water, frost and salt, are of
considerable significance.

Crash tests – too costly for trial and error

Standards such as the European EN 1317 for road restraint systems lay down the
requirements to be met in crash tests. Such tests are very costly – too costly to be
done simply on a trial and error basis.

Hilti makes the test capacities of its accredited laboratory available to the manufac-
turers of road restraint systems for the testing of components and their means of
fastening. The behavior of crash barrier posts during an impact, for example, can be
simulated by carrying out preliminary tests using forces applied by hydraulic pistons.
This often leads to optimization of the design of the barrier or – Hilti’s real area of
expertise – the fastening systems employed.

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In a split second.
A multitude of valuable data.

Right there, where it’s all happening

The main part of a crash test is all over in a split second. But even in this extremely
short space of time, some very complex processes – kinematics, deformation, locally-
occurring forces – can all be recorded for subsequent analysis.

Hilti makes this possible by employing the latest technologies: sensors in the anchor
points measure the forces occurring during an impact very exactly. These measure-
ments not only present valuable data for subsequent optimization of the system, they
also provide bridge design engineers with essential information by allowing a reason-
able estimation of the forces that the bridge itself will be required to take up.

Real-life performance – that’s what counts

In contrast to many of its nationally-applicable predecessor standards on crash barriers,

the EN 1317 standard only defines the objective of barrier design. The means of
compliance with the specification is, to a great extent, left up to each manufacturer
of road restraint systems.This also applies to the methods used to anchor such
systems, which is why today many tested and certified restraint systems make use
of Hilti fastening systems products.

In the decision about the fastening system to be used, it’s the real-life performance
under impact load that counts above all. Thanks to decades of experience with fas-
tening technologies and a broad range of products, Hilti is in a position to offer
engineers simple and cost-efficient systems that feature best-in-class performance.

In most cases, adhesive (chemical) anchors present the most suitable fastening.
Systems of this kind are capable of transferring the impact load peaks optimally to
the surrounding concrete. As a rule, anchor failure is avoided by the plastic behavior
of the steel structure or, respectively, the forces occurring at the anchor point can
be limited by predetermined failure of the steel anchor rods.
Moreover, the adhesive anchors used for this type of application not only tolerate
considerable inaccuracy during the installation process, most types also harden very
rapidly.

15
Giving you the go-ahead.
Green light for corrosion-resistant fastening systems.

The application

Railings, lighting pylons, light signals, road signs, expansion joint strips, curbstones
and even cycling tracks or walkways – these are only some of the items that have
to be installed on bridges using anchor systems of various kinds.
In applications such as these, the requirements to be met vary tremendously: While
poles and gantries require considerable dynamic wind loads to be taken into account,
the technical challenges presented by the installation of bridge railings are trivial in
comparison.

Frost, road salt and corrosion resistance

Icing on road bridges due to the absence of terrestrial warmth is a familiar problem
during the winter months. Bridges therefore often receive more than their fair share of
road salt. The chlorides the salt contains are the cause of considerable corrosion.
Road salt can trigger dangerous stress corrosion cracking on high-strength steel and
even on many types of stainless steel.

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Bad weather?
Steels that take it all in their stride.

Worthwhile investment

Stainless steel of at least A4 grade should be given preference for fastenings regularly
exposed to rain.
Fastening components made from hot-dip galvanized steel must be regarded as the
absolute minimum for applications of this kind and are subject to a defined rate of
attrition that limits the expected service life of the items concerned.
Where a concentration of chloride or even permanent dampness is to be expected,
steels with high corrosion resistance, such as HCR (1.4529), should be used.

Concrete innovation

Typicals and specifications often contain details of complex structures for fastening
lighting pylons and overhead gantries for road signs.
Up-to-date fastening systems can achieve considerable cost-savings in this area,
for example by reducing the amount of work and time put into concrete formwork.
High loads can be taken up by very small areas of the structure, especially when the
principles of rebar engineering theory (see pages 4 through 7) are put into practice –
in the same way as with conventional reinforcement.

17
Drainage and pipe systems.
Out of sight but not out of mind.

The application

The challenges presented by the drainage of road surface water on bridges are many
and varied:
• The combination of road salt, rain and snow makes use of corrosion-resistant
materials essential – for pipes and fastening components
• Large temperature fluctuations cause longitudinal expansion and contraction
of the pipes
• Wind loads often have a decisive influence on the design of the installation.

Similar conditions apply to other pipes or supply lines running alongside the bridge
or suspended underneath:
Especially in urban areas, bridges often also carry gas, water and district heating
pipes as well as power lines and telecommunications cables. These all require
suitable fastening systems.

Heat, cold, wind – unusual for pipes

Although bridge design engineers are perfectly used to making allowance for thermal
expansion of the primary sructure, the amount of expansion experienced with plastic
pipes can be extraordinary:
A temperature difference of 30°C can cause a 50-meter length of plastic pipe to ex-
pand by up to 30 cm. Unless the appropriate measures are taken, damage to the pipe
or the supporting structure must thus be expected.
The special characteristics of some materials also present challenges: Some types
of plastic pipe can become very rigid at temperatures around freezing point, resulting
in a rapid rise in the forces acting on the system.

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In a similar sense, taking wind loads into account in the design of a pipe fastening
system is certainly no everyday task for planners of pipe installations. Although the
applicable loading conditions are primarily static or semi-static, use of unsuitable or
incorrectly installed fastening systems can easily lead to dynamic loading problems.
The forces and deformation induced by regular movement or oscillation are far greater
than in static situations and may quickly result in damage.

From CAD model to installed pipe ring

Although no-one can relieve the project planner of his primary responsibilities, Hilti
engineers can at least take a great deal of weight off his shoulders in the field of
fastening systems – beginning with professional assistance at the planning stage
and continuing right through to the provision of support and advice to the installation
teams on the jobsite.

Food for thought

Added value without added cost! Especially in situations where bridges have to sup-
port a number of large pipes or supply lines, it makes sense to bundle these together
– often at virtually no additional cost – with the added value proposition of a built-in
walkway. A system of this kind not only supports the pipes but also provides an easy
means of access for inspection and maintenance work. Components from the
Hilti range of installation systems products offer countless possibilities in this field.

19
Traffic, vehicle impacts and wind.
Textbook examples of dynamic loading.

Fundamentals in the art of bridge building

To bridge design engineers, dynamic loads are as fundamental as ql2/8 is to engineers

in building construction. No matter whether considering fatigue-relevant traffic loads,
shock loads from a vehicle impact or simply classic vibration such as the effect of
wind loads on a noise barrier, aspects that can be kept well under control in concrete
and steel construction are often a tricky matter when it comes to fastening.

Decades of research and development

The behavior of fastening systems under dynamic loading has been researched by
Hilti in its own EN ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for decades. The result is an entire
range of optimized products now in use worldwide. Most importantly, Hilti has gained
tremendous experience through this work, resulting in a unique level of expertise that
allows Hilti engineers to draw from a vast pool of existing know-how whenever new
solutions are required.

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The Hilti testing laboratories.
Competence centers for dynamic loading applications.

Dynamic testing

Hilti’s corporate research laboratories are equipped with what are probably the
world’s most comprehensive systems for dynamic testing of fastening systems.
Tests can be carried out under the following conditions:
• Load application at various speeds, for shock loads as well as fatigue-relevant
loads (e.g. for the simulation of impacts in contrast to the effect of recurrent
thermal expansion)
• Deformation in various amplitudes ranging from a few tenths of a millimeter right
up to a meter
• Various load combinations and a large spectrum of loading conditions capable
of simulating real-life effects, e.g. static loads with cyclic deformations of the
concrete base material

This laboratory and testing equipment is backed by Hilti’s own measuring and testing
methods and technologies which ensure the desired accuracy despite great destruc-
tive deformation. These methods can be employed not only in the laboratory, but also
in existing structures, allowing loads to be recorded over a period of time for further
calculations.

Hilti makes these testing facilities and the know-how of its teams of fastening
specialists available to its partners and clients for selected projects.

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Wind, weather – and a lot of salt.
The perfect breeding ground for corrosion.

The standards and directives applicable to bridge building define very demanding
requirements in terms of corrosion protection. Bridge structures are packed inside
waterproof membranes and concrete coverage is checked meticulously – for good
reason. Yesterday’s errors in design or building work, after all, are the cause of today’s
costly repair and rehabilitation projects.

Corrosion on bridges can be traced back primarily to the use of de-icing salt, which
can attack not only the cast-in structural reinforcement but also the equipment
installed on the bridge and the means of fastening it.
Source: Heribert Huber

Bad contacts

Damage from corrosion is often the result of unfavorable combinations of materials

used. Contact corrosion, for example, occurs where two different metals influence
each other. The less noble of the two metals corrodes at an accelerated rate.

However, it must be pointed out that, in reality, this effect depends greatly on the
ambient conditions (e.g. the electrolyte present) and, above all, on the actual surface
areas of the two materials. Accordingly, the hot-dip galvanized components fre-
quently used on bridges could be and should be, as a rule, fastened with anchors
made from A4-grade stainless steel.

Structures with good corrosion-prevention characteristics are designed to ensure

that parts can dry out. Gaps, cracks or other nooks and crannies are unhelpful in this
respect and are often the source of problems. For example, stand-off installation of
steel base plates is preferable to casting in entire pole sections.

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The salt in the test tube soup

There are probably not many alloys or types of steel that Hilti hasn’t at some stage
mistreated with salt spray, in hot acid baths or simply exposed to sub-zero tempera-
tures and extreme heat.
Steels of various grades, in the form of raw materials or as finished products from
various manufacturers and different production lots – literally hundreds of combi-
nations of materials and corrosive conditions – have been, and continue to be,
analyzed with great precision.

Exposure to corrosive conditions is simulated realistically in Hilti’s laboratories, often

for several years at a time. Where results are needed more quickly, however, time
compression techniques may have to be used. Weathering tests and the analysis of
anchors installed decades ago are a source of further experience and serve as a
means of calibrating laboratory tests.

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 Hilti. Outperform. Outlast.
Hilti Corporation | 9494 Schaan | Liechtenstein | P +423-234 2111 | F +423-234 3096 | E [email protected] | www.hilti.com
Hilti = registered trademark of Hilti Corp., Schaan | W 3450 0807 5-en | 1 Printed in Liechtenstein | © 2007 | Right of technical and programme changes reserved S. E. & O.