In Canada’s National Capital Region, five interprovincial bridges link Gatineau and Ottawa. Every day, more than 9,000 pedestrians and over 150,000 vehicles cross these bridges. The famous Alexandra Bridge alone, inaugurated in 1901, carries 40% of the traffic.
To keep these bridges safe, functional and attractive, their maintenance is essential.
Our company and our professional team have developed specific expertise in the civil engineering sector, particularly in bridge rehabilitation. We specialize in the repair, cleaning and painting of steel and concrete structures.
Before proceeding with the rehabilitation of a bridge, it is important to secure the site for the workers as well as to ensure the protection of the environment. A protective enclosure covers the section of the bridge to be painted, creating a closed environment.
During surface preparation with sandblasting, a large amount of dust is produced. Thanks to a negative pressure system installed in the protective enclosure, this dust falls back to the ground where it will be recovered and disposed of according to the appropriate environmental standards. Protecting the environment is important to us, which is why we make sure to do everything in our power to minimize our impact on the environment.
This closed system also implies that the painters must wear a protective mask with filters to minimize the inhalation of dust particles generated during the sandblasting of the surfaces to be painted.
Bridge restoration requires painters to work in extreme conditions that require a sophisticated lashing system. The inspection of fall protection equipment is therefore important and the lashing techniques must be adapted according to the type of load, taking into account the weight, the height and the materials to be transported. This is why an entire safety system is put in place according to the safety standards established by the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST). It consists of an installation of suspended safety platforms as well as scaffolding to prevent falls by painters.
Steel bridge structures are continually exposed to the elements and extreme temperatures. They require a specialized paint that will resist corrosion. Our civil engineering project expert is NACE certified, giving him expertise in surface preparation techniques and in the application of these systems on various surfaces such as steel or concrete. This accreditation also allows us to non-destructively inspect the applied coatings and thus guarantee the quality and professionalism of our services.
Our specialized team in the civil engineering sector offers expertise to successfully complete your complex projects on time and on budget.
Project
SANDBLASTING
Alexandra Bridge – Gatineau
General Contractor | Stellaire construction inc.
- Centennial bridge
- Sandblasting
- 10-12 hours per day – weekends
- 6 to 7 days a week
The Alexandra Bridge, also known as the Interprovincial Bridge, connects the cities of Gatineau, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s national capital. It allows more than 9,000 pedestrians and over 150,000 vehicles to cross the Ottawa River daily. The Alexandra Bridge, built in 1901, is a cantilever bridge, making it an easy target for corrosion of its steel structure. Now 100 years old, this bridge has undergone several repairs.
In 2013, Brisson Peinture won its first call for tenders in the civil engineering sector for the rehabilitation of a portion of the Alexandra Bridge. The repair work lasted one year, during which we had the opportunity to work with very competent project managers from the company Stellaire Construction, general contractor.
The services rendered consisted of repairing the steel structure by sandblasting and waterblasting the old paint that had accumulated over 120 years on the steel beams and gratings. The stripping work is considered to be rough work. However, in the case of surface preparation of bridge steel structures, attention to detail is required to prevent rust from re-establishing itself on exposed surfaces.
Photo credit: National Capital Commission (NCC)
