Cathodic protection for viaduct

The 3,400-ft (1,036-m) long concrete and steel viaduct, located in downtown Salt Lake City, spans the main switching yards (26 tracks) of the Denver Rio Grande and Union Pacific Railroads, and provides critical daily access for 15,000 vehicles. Salt from winter deicing chemicals had contaminated the concrete deck, substructure, and pier caps of the 17-year old bridge. The steel reinforcing bars within the concrete had corroded, causing progressive deterioration of the surrounding concrete. Seeking a solution for Salt Lake City's bridge corrosion problem, the City's Engineering Department specified cathodic protection (CP) as a means of saving a key bridge on one of the city's major arteries.