BRIDGE REPAIR/REHABILITATION FEASIBILITY STUDY

onding the old and new pile sections. This type of repair has proven to be
an economical method of substructure repair that effectively restores the
compressive strength of deteriorated members. Additional information on
pile posting can be found in case histories presented in Chapter 15.
Pile restoration involves the removal and replacement of a vertical wedgeshaped
section of piling rather than the entire cross section. This type of
repair has been successfully used on piling where localized deterioration
occurs in an otherwise sound section. Using this method, a wedge-shaped
section is removed from the existing pile by cutting and chiseling
(Figure 14-17). A matching replacement section is fabricated from new
treated material. The replacement section is fitted to match the removed
section, but is slightly smaller in size. After the replacement is fabricated,
the contact surfaces of both old and new sections are covered with epoxy
gel applied with a putty knife. The new section is placed in position, and
metal bands are installed around the section to hold it in place while the
epoxy cures. Pile restoration is more expensive than posting and is normally
used only when posting is impractical because of limited access.
Figure 14-17. - Pile repair using pile restoration techniques. (A) The deteriorated pile
area is removed as a wedge-shaped section. (photos courtesy of Osmose Wood
Preserving, Inc.).
14-21