Opened in 1913 with claims as the world’s largest concrete bridge, the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge rehabilitation was highlighted by pier reconstruction using QUIKRETE® Shotcrete MS. Recommended and performed by Mar-Allen Concrete Products, Inc., the dry-process shotcrete application used to repair the piers improved the appearance, durability and overall structural integrity of the bridge while maintaining its status on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built with nearly 30,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete in an open-spandrel arch design, the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge is nearly 1,800 feet long and 50 feet wide. Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the $20 million project required ACI Certified Nozzlemen from Mar-Allen Concrete Products, Inc. to make 60 percent of the repairs overhead while elevated off the ground up to 120-feet, often in high winds. The QUIKRETE® Shotcrete MS was enhanced with a corrosion inhibitor and fiber to help meet strength and bond specifications. The material was also customized to match the bridge’s original color as approved by Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission.

Nearly 50,000 pounds of shotcrete was spray-applied over dampened repair areas prepared by removing unsound concrete with a pneumatic hammer, reinforcing usable rebar by grit blasting and replacing unsalvageable rebar. The repair depths ranged from three inches to four feet and galvanized mesh was installed for added support as necessary. A spray cure was applied to help prevent plastic shrinkage cracking as a final step in the process. Throughout the rehabilitation, large burlap curtains hung from cables covering the bridge to protect outside property from dust and to help manage the sun’s impact on the curing process. The Albertus L. Meyers Bridge rehabilitation earned honorable mention recognition in the 2017 American Shotcrete Association Outstanding Project Awards.

QUIKRETE^® Shotcrete MS is a single component Micro Silica enhanced repair material that achieves more than 9,000 PSI at 28 days, and features very low rebound and permeability characteristics.