Corrosion Monitoring
Corrosion monitoring stations were installed into the reinforced fill at all eight walls
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The Challenge
- Premature corrosion observed on some wall facings
In the early 2000s, Atlantic Industries Limited (AIL) designed eight (8) welded wire Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls for the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) along a section of the Trans-Canada highway. Premature corrosion on the wall facing on some of the walls was noted in fall 2009. AIL initiated investigations to determine the root cause of the observed face corrosion, as well assess the condition of the primary welded wire soil reinforcement.
The Solution
Geocomp was retained to provide expert services in connection with the corrosion evaluation of the welded wire MSE walls. A boring and laboratory testing program was developed and executed to determine the electrochemical properties of the reinforced fill at five (5) walls. Corrosion monitoring stations were installed through the face into the reinforced fill at all eight (8) walls to facilitate linear polarization resistance (LPR) measurements to identify the real-time rate of any corrosion that might be occurring in the primary metallic reinforcements. Measurements were obtained over a one-year period. A report was prepared presenting results and conclusions from these investigations.
One wall was selected for deconstruction during planned highway improvements. Geocomp developed a protocol as to the procedures to be used to document the condition of the primary welded wire reinforcement, sampling and testing of the reinforced fill.
