TESTING OF CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES AND SUSPENSION BRIDGES

ROTEC GmbH carries out various inspections on cable structures such as cable-stayed bridges and suspension bridges. In addition to the necessary know-how and expertise, we have specially developed testing equipment for testing rope bridges. Ropes are the essential load-bearing components of cable-stayed bridges and suspension bridges. They are subject to extreme stress from ongoing traffic and external weather conditions, which can lead to a reduction in their load-bearing capacity. For this reason, the ropes of buildings must be inspected regularly in order to detect individual wire breaks, signs of corrosion or superficial damage in good time. In Germany, bridge ropes are mostly extensively tested in accordance with DIN 1076.

MAGNETO-INDUCTIVE ROPE TESTING

The so-called "magneto inductive method" is a reliable and established method for assessing the outer and inner rope condition. The rope is magnetized until saturation, i.e. with a magnetic flux of over 1.9 Tesla in the rope core. Any faults in the rope, such as wire breaks or corrosion, disturb the surrounding magnetic field and form a stray field that can be measured using special sensors. ROTEC GmbH uses magneto-inductive testing devices specially designed for bridge cables, with which cable diameters of up to 140 mm and beyond can be tested economically at a speed of up to 2 m/s. Depending on requirements, the test equipment can be moved either directly by self-propelled vehicles or indirectly by cable winches.

VISUAL BRIDGE ROPE INSPECTION

To protect the corrosion-prone cable wires, they are coated with a thick zinc layer and a multi-layer protective coating after assembly. During operation, this protective sheathing can repeatedly be damaged, which can cause moisture to penetrate into the rope and rust nests to form. For this reason, it is important to be able to recognize, evaluate and repair damage to the protective coating of the ropes at an early stage. This avoids enormous follow-up costs. With the unique "Bridgespect" rope testing device from ROTEC, the ropes can be visually inspected automatically. The complete rope surface is recorded, documented and automatically analyzed for damage by four colour cameras arranged at right angles to each other. There is no need for climbers to manually drive down the ropes and the condition of the rope can be fully documented. A real added value for all rope bridge operators.

VIBRATION MEASUREMENT ON ROPE BRIDGES

Ideally, the suspension cables of a bridge should have a uniform contact pattern. To measure the natural frequency of bridge ropes and to determine the prestressing force of the individual ropes, the engineers of ROTEC GmbH carry out vibration measurements on the highly stressed rope tension members. Recurring monitoring of the prestressing forces allows changes in the bridge statics to be detected at an early stage and the overloading of individual components to be avoided.

SPECIAL TESTS ON ROPE BRIDGES

In addition to the procedures mentioned above, further tests can be carried out on bridge ropes depending on the application. Examples of this are the ultrasonic inspection of the rope end areas and the radiography of poorly accessible areas. Surely, we have a solution for your special case - just contact us without obligation.