Solutions for Rail & Road Bridges

Bridges have shaped history - not just as feats of engineering, but as lifelines connecting people, businesses, and communities by enabling seamless movement where traditional roads and railways fall short.

Your Trusted Partner

Bridges are subjected to continuous exposure to environmental and operational stressors, each contributing to structural degradation in different ways.

A thorough understanding of these factors is essential for developing effective maintenance strategies and materials selection to allow a prolongation of the service life.

Foundation and substructure settlement
Concrete cracking and spalling
Corrosion of reinforcement and steel structures
Bearing and expansion joint failures
Failures in rail fastening systems

Repairing damaged concrete is one of the primary requirements in the maintenance of concrete bridges. Localised spalling or full surface scaling of concrete surfaces has to be repaired with durable concrete repair materials. A sound and correctly repaired concrete substrate is also the basic requirement for any additional waterproofing, protection or strengthening systems to be applied.

Sika provides an extensive range of thoroughly tested and proven repair materials and systems, based on various technologies to meet specific requirements. These include bonding and corrosion protection primers, hand- and machine-applied repair mortars (suitable for vertical and overhead applications), semi-fluid mortars for efficient deck repairs, and surface levelling/protection mortars. Additionally, Sika has pioneered the development of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer structural strengthening systems.

Thanks to years of research and decades of hands-on experience, Sika has developed a fully comprehensive product range to restore and rehabilitate concrete bridges in a durable and sustainable way.

Bridges are complex and demanding structures. There are many joints that need waterproofing, from simple saw cut contraction joints to exposed movement and connection joints. These joints are exposed to thermal movement, constant vibrations, extreme weathering, mechanical impact from the traffic and chemical impact from spillage or de-icing.

Sika offers a complete selection of customised expansion joint systems tested and with a well proven track record. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive range for fixing and bedding road and rail elements required for durable, safe use of the bridge.

Remedial work on concrete bridge structures often include the requirement for void filling, fixing and sealing or bedding and grouting with free-flowing materials. Typical examples are concrete repairs using formwork, high precision grouting under bridge bearing plates, or for cable duct grouting. Additionally, flowable resin and cement grouts are used to fix manholes or other steel frames and equipment, where rapid hardening materials are usually required to reduce closure times.

Sika offers a wide range of tested and well proven grouts and fixing materials based on all the different technologies available including cement, epoxy, polyurethane and PMMA. For many decades, Sika has also provided special products for high precision applications such as bearing plates, rail tracks and ancillary elements like traffic signs and other road and rail elements.

The condition of reinforced concrete structures and the full extent of any potential damage is often not visible on the concrete surface. Corrosion damage and structural deterioration can develop internally and progress significantly, before becoming visible on the surface, such as with chloride-induced pitting corrosion.  

To ensure effective repair and maintenance, it's crucial to optimize the number of structures requiring attention, along with the extent and cost-effectiveness of the work. Predictive maintenance, through optimized life cycle planning, helps anticipate potential damage. The goal is to identify issues early, preventing larger and more disruptive repairs down the line. Achieving this requires detailed and reliable data and information to accurately predict structural conditions and assess the level of deterioration.

At Sika, we do more than supply innovative solutions — we partner with bridge owners, architects, engineers, and contractors to ensure every project is a success. From new construction to refurbishment, our team provides expert guidance at every stage, helping you build stronger, longer-lasting bridges.

For refurbishment projects, we offer full support from start to finish. This includes an initial survey and assessment, followed by root cause diagnosis, precise specification writing and detailing, and comprehensive method statements to guide the process. We also provide on-site quality control and practical application assistance, ensuring seamless execution and long-term durability.

When it comes to new bridge construction, our expertise helps design structures that maximize durability, sustainability, and cost efficiency over their entire lifecycle. By optimizing materials and construction methods, we reduce maintenance needs, extend service life, and lower total project costs.

With a global presence and a complete range of cutting-edge solutions, Sika delivers high-performance products tailored to meet the toughest bridge challenges — wherever they are in the world.