Cortec’s MCI® 2018, a silane concrete sealer with migrating inhibitor properties, will provide corrosion protection to the Peljesac Bridge.
Cortec® Corporation has helped to connect Croatia after 300 years in one of the world’s most challenging construction project: a 2,404 m (7,887.14 ft) long bridge linking the Peljesac peninsula with the mainland. In order achieve more than 130 years of lifespan and protect it from corrosion, Cortec’s MCI® technology was in fact applied on the bridge.
After its completion, the Peljesac Bridge will be ranked among the five largest European bridges constructed at the beginning of the 21st century. This important new structure is connecting two separate parts of Croatia and bypassing border crossings at the short coastal strip near Neum in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The project, also funded by the European Union, is worth almost €500 million due to strict quality criteria such as stability, durability and integration into the environment. The proposed design included an extra dosed bridge with an integrated hybrid structure comprising of five central spans, each 285 m long, and six low pylons. To increase the durability of the bridge, developers have a chosen combination of AC coatings, cathodic protection of steel reinforcement in piles and pile heads, a concrete cover of 65–85 mm stainless steel reinforcement and the impregnation of the entire concrete substructure with MCI®-2018 by a spraying technique.
Cortec’s MCI® 2018, a silane-based concrete sealer with a migrating inhibitor property that protects against corrosion, was specifically selected
during the initial design phase in order to extend the service life of the bridge. The concrete sealer allows deep penetration into concrete and provides water repellence by chemically reacting with the cementitious substrate. It seals surface pores – preventing the intrusion of chlorides – reduces carbonation and protects from the ingress of wind-driven rain. MCI®-2018 carries CE certification, indicating conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA).
“Our MCI® technology is used in largest construction projects throughout the globe. I dedicated more than forty years of my life in developing most advanced, environmentally safe corrosion protection solutions. Witnessing its application in my home country on this monumental bridge structure is truly a special feeling. Croatia has gone through some tough times, having to fight its independence in a war 30 years ago. Seeing it prosper and develop in of the most desirable countries in Europe feels just about right and completion of Peljesac bridge is huge step forward for all of us,” stated Boris Miksic, the CEO of Cortec Corporation.