June 2018
Using Vicat’s SmartUP ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) for renovation of the historic Thouaré sur Loire bridge halved the weight of the structure. The innovative solution required just six months of work.
The major renovation work required for the Thouaré sur Loire bridge, built in 1882, was seen as a challenge. Failed deck waterproofing made it hazardous for the 10,500 vehicles crossing it every day. Yet the rehabilitated bridge was handed over on August 2017 after just 6 months of work.
Contractors Jousselin—a bespoke precaster—and Bouygues TPRF rose to the challenge. After acceptance of our proposal for replacement with 220 large slabs made with our SmartUP ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC), the existing bridge deck was broken out and the new slabs were placed on the structure then grouted together in situ with the same concrete.
392
meters
10 500
vehicles
220
slabs made with our SmartUP
Being just 7 to 12 cm thick, the new deck makes the structure more than 1,500 metric tons lighter. The bridge now has the load-bearing capacity to safely handle its traffic and, in addition, be widened in the future by cantilevering out lanes for ‘soft mobility’.
