The Suez Canal Bridge was constructed through a grant aid from Japan and completed in September 2001. Stone Mastic Asphalt pavement (SMA) was adopted over the orthotropic steel deck of this bridge because SMA was utilized for the orthotropic steel deck in Japan and SMA did not need any special machines, which were indispensable for the Gussasphalt Pavement ((nonporous) mastic asphalt pavement) and were unavailable in Egypt. After the bridge opening, however, hair cracks on pavement began to appear from June 2002 due to overloading of vehicles whose axle weights sometimes exceeded 25t. Upon advice from Japan, the General Authority for Roads, Bridges and Land Transport (GARBLT) limited the axle weight of vehicles to 13t. In September 2003, after inspection of the bridge, the bridge was handed over to Egypt. In 2011, a study team from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was dispatched to investigate the condition of the pavement and the steel deck. Although the pavements were heavily cracked, no fatigue cracks on the orthotropic steel deck were found. The steel deck surfaces were investigated and rusts were confirmed. The thickness reduction was measured. The average largest thickness reduction was 0.5mm. As seepage water was confirmed on the steel deck, 20 water monitors were embedded. The team recommended the repavement using the Gussasphalt Method as it was practically the only one method applicable at present in Japan. In 2016, GARBLT decided to repave the bridge using its own method and actually repaved the bridge. JICA experts could not give any advice because there were no related experiences in Japan. However, this pavement was deemed viable. Before the repavement, the water monitors were checked and seepage water was confirmed. After the removal of the pavement, all of the steel deck surfaces were investigated.
展开▼
