The Executives and members of Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, NICE Lagos Chapter lead by Engr Lola Adetona has paid an industrial technical visit to the site of the ongoing repair works on the 3rd Mainland Bridge.
On the team of the inspection are the Chairman, Engr Lola Adetona, Vice Chairman – Engr Emeka Ibeh, 3 Executive members, – Engr Olawale Bolarinwa, Engr adeleke Odumade and Engr Satope. Others are Engr Aileme Unuigbe and Engr Taiwo Bewaji who are elders of the institution. Student were drawn from Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, University of Lagos, Unilag and FUOYE( Federal University of Oye-Ekiti).
The team was received by Engr. Mrs F. Oloyede, Third Mainland Bridge project supervisor and a registered Civil Engineer with the Institution.
They conducted inspection tour of the bridge covering both the ongoing works, finished works as well as the fabrication yard to ascertain the level of progress of the repair works.
The Third Mainland bridge maintenance repair work, which will last 6 months, aimed at correcting some identified flaws on the facility as well as repair/ replace about eleven Expansion Joints . The work ongoing include Restoration of piles foundation as indicated in the drawings and described in the BEME; Dynamic testing of the damaged expansion joints and any other joints as the case may require for replacement; The hydro-demolition and replacement of the worn out expansion joints by means of hydro-demolition machine.
The project will also cover the sealing of cracks and repairs of spoiled concrete surfaces on pile caps and piers using epoxy resins, cement mortars, anti-rust fluids and any other suitable material as may be required and approved by the Engineer; and Repairs of any ancillary works such as guardrails, lighting system, desilting of the silted drains/manhole covers etc may be directed by the Engineer where required.
The Chairman of the Chapter, Engr. Lola Adetona expressed satisfaction at the level of works done so far while urging Lagosians to be patience and endure the inconvenience the partial closure of the bridge may have caused. She praised the FG under President Muhamadu Buhari through the Federal ministry of Works and Housing for embarking on the repair.
She however stressed the need for the country to have a structured maintenance culture such that there will be no need for prolonged closure of such facilities when carrying out repair.
It will be recalled that the Third Mainland Bridge was recently closed for repair following the need to investigate and correct some structural flaws and also carry out extensive maintenance and repair works on the facility.
Constructed in 1990s, the bridge has been shut down down a couple of times in the past for repairs following complain on the state of the bridge.
By Isqil Najim