Optimal surface protection for the Zuari Bridge

• Name

  Optimal surface protection for the Zuari Bridge

• Country

  India, 2022

• Fields of Expertise

  Bridge

• Categories

  Surface Protection

• Products

  MC-Color Flex pro

In the Indian state of Goa, a 640 m long cable-stayed bridge over the Zuari River is nearing completion as a vital link in the new coastal road under construction from Panaji to Mangalore. And MC surface protection products are to be used to ensure that the structure’s concrete remains sound for many years to come.

 

Goa is an Indian state in the west of the country. Between the cities of Panaji in the north and Mangalore in the south runs the NH 66 trunk road, an essential arterial for the transport of goods across the Zuari River. Due to its poor condition, the previous bridge was no longer suitable for heavy goods traffic. The Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways therefore decided to build a new bridge at the same location.

Second longest and widest cable-stayed bridge in India

The decision was made in favour of a 640 m long cable-stayed bridge with an average span of 360 m and a final span of 140 m at both ends. It is the second longest and widest of its kind in India. The bridge has eight lanes and a 110 m high tower on which a viewpoint for tourists and a restaurant are due to be installed. The bridge deck consists of a composite construction of steel and concrete.

 

Good experience with MC-Color flex
Selected as the construction contractor, Dilip Buildcon Ltd. of Bhopal formed a joint venture with the Ukrainian company Mostobudivelnyi Zahin Limited (MBZ) to carry out the work. MBZ has experience in the construction of bridges and provides support in planning, technical issues and in the course of works execution.

Due to the excellent experience Dilip Buildcon Ltd. had already accumulated with MC-Bauchemie’s MC-Color flex* during the construction of the 660 m long bridge over the Mandovi river in Panaji, Goa, which was completed in 2018, the company again decided to use this surface protection system. MC-Color flex has set quality standards throughout India thanks to many reference projects in which its carbonation-blocking properties have come to the fore. And it is as a result of this track record that MC-Color flex is listed in the approvals of both the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Indian Road Congress.

 

Surface protection with superior crack-bridging properties
Offering superior crack-bridging and low dirt pick-up, MC-Color flex is a pigmented, flexible, UV-resistant coating designed for the protection of concrete surfaces exposed to weathering. In addition to its excellent protective properties, the product line is characterised by impressive cost-efficiency. It further offers high resistance to the diffusion of carbon dioxide, giving it notable carbonation-blocking properties. After the concrete surfaces had been treated and levelled in a first step with MC’s fine universal filler Nafuquick, an MC proprietary primer was applied. Finally MC-Color flex was applied by airless spraying, a process that greatly simplified the coating work. In total, around 650,000 m2 of concrete surface will be protected with MC products. The work is scheduled to continue until the end of 2022.

* Also known in India under the name EmceColor-flex.