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Structures Maintenance Plan

7. Maintenance Regimes

7.1  The Maintenance regimes associated with highway structures that are currently used in the management of structures within the Borough can be summarised as follows. 

Regime Type

Sub-Set

Description

Regular Maintenance

Routine - Vegetation Clearance

Removal of vegetation from within a 5m radius of the structure and, where appropriate, wing walls in order to protect the structure from damage

Routine - Cleaning of Expansion Joints and Drainage systems

Removal of debris from the expansion joints and drainage systems to ensure they operate correctly and efficiently

and prevent the ingress of water into the structure itself

Routine - Clearing of Watercourses

The removal of silt and debris from water courses running under or through structures ensures that the capacity of the structure is not reduced to such a level that upstream flooding can occur. It also prevents damage to the structure by the large items of debris.

Routine - Greasing of   Metal Bearings

Ensures metal bearings function

efficiently and are not subjected to accelerated wear.

Inspections - All types

As detailed in section 5.

Structural Review and Assessment

Reviews are used to ascertain the adequacy of structures to carry specified loads when there are significant changes in usage, loading, condition or the assessment standards. The review should identify those structures which will require full assessment to quantify the load bearing capacity of the structure.

Management of Sub- Standard Structures

Normally constitutes implementing interim measures to protect users of substandard structures and may include monitoring.

Programmed Maintenance

Preventative - Re- pointing

Renewal of the mortar used in masonry structures to prevent the ingress of water and protect its structural integrity

Preventative - Repainting

Renewal of the paint layers on metal structures to prevent corrosion and protect its structural integrity

Preventative - Re- waterproofing

Renewal of the waterproofing layers on a bridge deck to prevent the ingress of

water and prevent deterioration of the deck substructure elements

Component Renewal

Cyclic works to renew components that have a finite service life e.g bearings

and expansion joints

Upgrading

Work to bring an existing structure up to the appropriate current standard

Widening and

Headroom Improvements

Works to increase the width or headroom of an existing structure

Replacement

Works to replace a structure or component that has reached the end of its useable life (excluding cyclic component renewal works) and designed to restore but not enhance the full design performance of the structure or component that is being

replaced.

Reactive Maintenance

Emergency

Work that must be dealt with

immediately due to the high risk the situation poses to public safety

Essential Maintenance

Major structural repair work especially that undertaken when part or all of a structure is considered to be, or about to become, structurally inadequate or unsafe or unpredictable in its deterioration.

7.2  The use of a well-developed routine maintenance regime can prove cost effective in whole life terms as whilst many of the tasks are fairly minor in themselves, failure to carry them out may lead to the deterioration of the structure and the need for more costly repair operations in the future. 

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