ARMO-Cure Innosuisse
Summary
Structures
Innosuisse
S&P Clever Reinforcement Company SA
Daia Zwicky
Skills directory
August 2020 - December 2022
Development of a maintenance and reinforcement system for corrugated steel pipes
Despite their widespread use in road and water networks, culverts are often poorly maintained. This project aims to develop an innovative and cost-effective reinforcement method for larger-diameter culverts that use sprayable composite-reinforced mortars to extend their lifetime in a sustainable way.
Corrugated steel pipes are widely used as culverts to enable the passage of animals, pedestrians, even vehicles or the flow of streams through an embankment (for roads, dikes, etc.). They are large tubes made of metal sheets in predefined cross-sections, conveniently installed before the construction of the embankment.
Invented in the United States in 1896, the use of corrugated steel pipes boomed in the 1960/70s. They are still widely used today due to their versatility, affordability and ease of installation. However, a large number of these structures have already reached and even surpassed their intended lifetime, which is approximately 30 years. The key to improving the management of these structures lies in optimizing maintenance procedures.