LMS Highways install CRCP Repairs to busy A30 Devon

Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty, LMS Highways spent three weekend providing Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement Repairs to the A30 in Devon. This stretch of road is made up of high speed dual carriageway, high speed single carriageway and urban areas, due to this, our repair work was completed under full night time road closures, ensuring the safety of everyone on site and to reduce disruption for commuters.

The A30 is constructed using CRCP, continuously reinforced concrete pavement is constructed with steel reinforcing bars placed within the concrete, continuously along the entire length of the pavement. The result is a continuous, smooth-riding surface capable of withstanding the heaviest traffic loads and the most adverse weather conditions. Often proving a popular choice for highly trafficked areas due to being extremely heavy duty and offering a service life of around 20-40 years, or even longer with the proper maintenance.

Repairing CRCP requires precision and accuracy, after removing the damaged sections of concrete, new steel starter bars are installed at 150mm centres just slightly offset from where the existing ones are. The dowel bars are then resined into place and steel mesh/ reinforcing bars are attached at both ends running continuously along the length of the bay, ensuring the continuous reinforcement isn’t broken or disrupted.

Project outcomes:

• 141 M3 Concrete Installed
• 5.7 Tonnes of Steel
• 373 Linear Meters of Joint Sealing

“I’m never apprehensive about working with LMS on our Network. Always professional and courteous. Excellent safety working practices. Great Team and top quality workmanship” – Claire Dean, Route Manager for Balfour Beatty

The video below shows the LMS team carrying out a CRCP bay replacement on the A30 carriageway during a full night time road closure.

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LMS Highways deliver concrete bay replacements and various other repairs to the A11

The A11 is a concrete road designed between the 1950s and 1970s had an average life span of 50 years. The surface is now reaching the stage where it needs to be repaired or replaced for safety reasons. This reconstruction scheme was split into phases beginning in 2021 as part of National Highways nationwide drive to revitalise roads with concrete road surfaces across the country.

In late 2021 LMS Highways began working on the A11 to repair and replace the surface between Spooner Row and Thickthorn Interchange and in early 2023 we were requested back to deliver concrete bay replacements and various crack and joint repairs to Hethersett bypass between Wymondham and Cringleford on both the North and Southbound Carriageway. This phase was predicted to take around 5 weeks to complete.

Work began by marking out the areas of repair ready for the bays to be diamond saw cut and extracted. The damaged concrete bays were broken out and remove using a combination of a pecker and lifting bucket and a vacuum lifting plate, both of which are capable of lifting and removing large continuous sections of concrete without needing to break them down into smaller pieces.

Bays are then prepped with a polythene waterproofing membrane and steel dowels, the dowes are drilled into place using our EZ-Drill AKA slab riding rig to along both the transverse and longitudinal edges. Dowel bars are short steel bars that are installed into the surrounding concrete slabs to provide a mechanical connection that doesn’t restrict joint movement and are designed to increase load transfer efficiency which is vital to long performance.

The new concrete bays are then recast using a fast curing concrete, this rapid set mix along with conventional heating methods of tents and space heaters insures the concrete hardens to a trafficable state within as little as 4 hours as opposed to other traditional concrete mixes which can have a hardening time taking between 7 and 28 days. Therefore making this service incredibly desirable for clients who are looking for minimal road closure time and little to no disruption to daily commuting. With the correct maintenance our concrete bay replacements can have an expected service life of around 30-50 years.

Additional repairs were made to the surface cracking by performing thin bond repairs. This is a repair designed to fix thin surface cracking due to pavement movement, repairing broken slab corners and to reform levels between slabs. Thin Bond Repairs are installed by firstly planing out the crack and surrounding area to the diameter of 200mm wide by 50mm deep. This is then primed and infilled using Maxi Crete, which is a BBA approved, resin based, flexible repair material. This is a preventative service which prolongs the life of cracked surface before a larger patch repair or bay replacement is necessary.

Preventative repairs like these are commonly used in large projects where possible, to keep the overall cost down as they help repair and extend the life of an existing carriageway before it reaches a stage of disrepair where then a full bay replacement would be necessary.

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LMS Highways deliver surface repairs to city centre bus station.

At LMS Highways we usually find ourselves working on major trunk roads delivering highway repairs so when we received a job in Liverpool City Centre, Projects Manager Paul Burton jumped at the opportunity for a new environment with a different set of challenges.

The main challenge we faced during this project was the location, having this project be within an urban area means there was an added concern with noise. Due to this, prior to work commencing LMS Highways provided a site visit to carry out noise assessments for the diamond saw cutting – used to cut out the existing concrete pavement. EZ drilling – which is the process of installing steel dowel bars along the new concrete bay edge. And the concrete beam tamp – which is used to compact the concrete before it fully cures to enhance its strength.

All of which were recorded to be under the legal noise limit and the go ahead could be given to continue on with the project using our tried and true specialist equipment.

This project was delivered over 8 night shifts with noise restrictions coming into play between the hours of 6pm – 7:30am. Despite being under the legal decibel limit for working LMS decided to further reduce the noise by installing temporary sound barriers around the station which help reduce the noise by at least 5 decibels.

The work delivered to Liverpool bus station included removal of existing concrete pavement using a combination of vacuum lifting plate and bespoke lifting bucket. Installation of replacement bays, which was a total of approximately 80 cubic metres off fast curing concrete. And approximately 190 metres of various crack & joint repairs throughout the site.

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LMS Highways deliver Concrete Bay Replacements to A27

LMS Highways were recently requested to deliver 12 Concrete Bay Replacements to A27 Westbound Carriageway over a single weekend closure, this was achieved by our efficient removal process and using a rapid set concrete.

Starting on Friday night our crews began by marking out the damaged bays ready for the saw cutting crew to follow behind and diamond saw the bays. Once the bays are cut the breakout and removal process can begin, for this project our team used a combination of a pecker and bespoke lifting bucket, which compared to traditional equipment are capable of lifting and removing large sections of concrete without the need for breaking down in advance.

The bays are then prepped with a polythene waterproofing membrane and steel dowels, the dowes are drilled into place using our EZ-Drill AKA slab riding rig to along both the transverse and longitudinal edges. Dowel bars are short steel bars that are installed into the surrounding concrete slabs to provide a mechanical connection that doesn’t restrict joint movement and are designed to increase load transfer efficiency which is vital to long performance.

Bays are then recast using a fast curing concrete, this rapid set mix along with conventional heating methods of tents and space heaters insures the concrete hardens to a trafficable state within as little as 4 hours as opposed to other traditional concrete mixes which can take upto 7 days.

This impressive curing period allows LMS to keep to the time restricted schedules and reduce overall road closure time, making it highly desirable to our clients. Lastly the team will then diamond saw cut the joints before applying primer and seal with a hot applied N1 sealant, this step prevents water ingress which in turn extends the service life of the new concrete bays.

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LMS Highways Services – Cost Saving Highway Repair Solutions

With the UK entering a recession and the government making necessary budget cuts throughout many sectors, it’s looking as though budgets for highway schemes will be reduced for 2023, forcing projects to focus on preventative and life extending highway repairs as opposed to replacements.

LMS Highways are a national supplier of specialist highways maintenance projects with 40 years of experience in the highways sector. Employing a number of techniques and innovative materials, LMS are able to offer tailor made and cost-effective repair solutions.

Road degradation is inevitable, potholes, cracking, rutting, subsidence and surface deterioration are all types of wear and tear to occur over time. These will eventually need repairing whether this be a full surface replacement or a less costly repair which will help prolong the life of carriageway.

Types of highway repairs LMS can provide:

Deep Concrete Repairs

Our solution incorporates cementitious and hot applied materials that repair full depth slabs (including below the rebar) to depths in excess of 300mm.

Thin Bond Repairs

Used for fixing thin surface cracking due to pavement movement, repairing broken slab corners and to reform levels between adjacent slabs.

Various Crack Repairs

Offering both hot and cold applied BBA HAPAS material solutions for long lasting repairs on tarmac and concrete surfaces at various widths.

Overband, suitable for narrow cracks up to 5mm wide. Fast to install, seals and prevents water ingress.

Fill & overband, for cracks up to 40mm wide, prevents water ingress while reinstating the surface profile and preventing long term skid resistant values (SRV).

Inlaid, suitable for either single or multiple cracks, typically installed at widths of 100-250mm wide and 20-40mm deep. Used to repair cracks and fretted joints that are at risk of degenerating into more expensive repairs.

Sami, designed to be installed before an asphalt overlay, a variety of screed or recessed layers to help prevent reflective cracking and seal the joint in the surfacing layer below the wearing course to prevent water ingress.

Joint Sealing

Offering a variety of cost-effective systems for joints using both hot and cold sealants including saw cut & seal, kerb edge sealing and mastic joint sealing for slot drain repair and gantry walls etc.

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LMS Highways Services – Rapid Concrete Bay Replacements & Repair

LMS Highways are a national supplier of specialist highways maintenance projects including high early strength concrete repair. Using rapid repair technology developed over 30 years in the Highways sector, the LMS team are able to remove and reinstate concrete bays within an impressive six-hour period.

This fast delivery time is achieved by combining our vacuum lifting system which allows us to remove concrete bays in large continuous slabs and a rapid cure concrete formula which as the name suggests, has an incredibly fast curing period which doesn’t require conventional methods of heating or long hardening time which can be between 7 and 28 days. Making this service incredibly desirable for clients with warehousing, distribution and service yard refurbishment requirements as it ensures minimal disruption to daily operations.

“Paul Winter and Paul Burton have been instrumental in the excellent planning and for facilitating multiple weekend phases on the A2 Boughton CRCP scheme. This has allowed the network to be put back in a much better state of repair than planned by undertaken huge volumes of additional work within the weekend closures, thus minimising disruption to the road users.” – Rapid CRCP Concrete Repairs for Costain.

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LMS Highways Equipment – Vacuum Lifting Plate

For many years LMS Highways has been using a vacuum lifting system for fast and efficient concrete bay removal. Vacuum lifting equipment is widely used in many industrial sectors for the lifting and handling of materials that have a flat or smooth surface. In particular, materials such as concrete slabs, metal or glass panes and pipes etc. can be easily lifted and handled using vacuum lifting equipment.

Vacuum lifters are capable of providing precision lifting results with great cost and time efficiency, and enhanced safety. The lifting plates powerful hydraulic suction pad can secure loads and maintain a fixed hold at all times until in the required position. This innovative equipment negates the need for hooks, chains or clams used in traditional lifting equipment. Allowing everyone to remain at a safe distance and in turn greatly reducing the risk of injury.

Benefits of a vacuum lifting plate:

• Various sizes and lifting capabilities
• Time efficient
• Cost efficient
• Safer than traditional lifting equipment

The video below shows LMS crews using our 5 tonne vacuum plate in both a full motorway road closure and in an urban residential setting.

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Busy A1 Buckden Roundabout Receives Essential Maintenance Work

Starting in June LMS Highways assisted in the A1 Buckden Roundabout major renewal project which consisted of resurfacing, road stud replacement and line marking. LMS Highways were on site to provide the concrete bay and deep surface removal, sub-base replacement and disposal portion of this project.

This is a busy section of the A1 so overnight working was used for the road studs and white lining to reduce any disruption for road users. However the resurfacing work required partial and full closures of the roundabout due to complexity and depth of the work required.

The removal of the existing surface was essential maintenance work to improve the driving quality and safety for road users. Throughout the 4 shifts LMS Highways were working on the A1 roundabout they removed a total of 350 Tonnes of concrete and installed approximately 160 Tonnes of type 1 sub-base in preparation for a new asphalt surface to be laid.

Type 1 sub-base is generally a 40mm graded to dust material that is laid and compacted to form a level stable construction layer as a platform for asphalt or concrete and is typically used in the construction of highways, car parks, footways and hard standing areas.

The existing concrete surface was removed using a lifting bucket which allowed for large sections to be removed as one complete piece and lifted straight into the disposal truck. Once the top layer of concrete had been removed, the deeper layers of sub-base and soil were removed and replaced with the type 1 sub-base stone. This was then levelled out with a process of hand levelling the stone before proceeding with rollers and wacker plates to further compact the sub-base.

Drop test are then completed to reveal if there are any weak spots before starting the next layer which is installed on top of terram. Terram is typical used to preventing intermixing of granular sub-base and subgrade layers and extending the service life of unbound materials.

Once the final layer of stone has been installed, levelled, compacted and tested once more, the underlaying sub-base can be signed off as sufficiently prepped to LMS Highways’ high standard and handed over to the next sub-contractor to install the new asphalt surface and the finishing touches such as road marking and studs.

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LMS Highways deliver road surface improvement projects in Ashford, Kent using a rapid set concrete.

The package repair projects were delivered to both Brunswick Road and Henwood Industrial Estate in Ashford as part of Kent County Councils on-going maintenance and improvement of the highway network.

LMS has grown from a local line marking provider in the South West to a national supplier of specialist highway maintenance projects including high early strength concrete repair works and associated civil engineering projects. Our ability to deliver a wide range of services under one point of accountability makes us a desirable supply chain partner.

The first road surface improvement works began in early August and ran for several weeks. During this time the team removed the failed concrete slabs and replaced them using a rapid cure concrete which is able to be driven on in as little as 4 hours. Whilst repairing the damaged bays the existing ironwork was also removed and reset.

Following the completion of the slab replacements, the surrounding bay joints were then sealed to prevent water ingress and thus help prolong the life of the carriageway. Lastly the road markings where re-installed in thermoplastic throughout the site.

The LMS Team

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LMS Highways deliver a variety of repairs to a busy industrial estate in Kent.

The project was estimated to take 4 weeks and programmed to be completed during night shifts. This was to ensure little to no disruption is caused to the day to day running for the 20+ businesses located on the industrial estate.

Starting in early July, work began with marking out the damaged sections of concrete and removing these bays using our vacuum lifting plate, which is capable of lifting large continuous sections of concrete without the need for breaking down in advance. Alongside this the ironwork manholes and gullies were removed in preparation to be reinstated once the surrounding concrete had been installed.

Once the damaged concrete is removed, the bay is prepped and filled with a rapid cure concrete which can be trafficked in as little as 4 hours. This impressive curing period enabled the team to keep to the time restricted schedule and reduce road closure time.

As we near the end of the project, the crew begins the finishing touches which include joint sealing and road marking. Joint sealing is a process in which a cold or hot BBA HAPAS material is applied directly into a joint to seal the surface, this prevents water ingress and in turn helps extends the service life of the road surface.

With this correct installation and minimal maintenance our concrete bay replacements have an estimated service life over 30 years. 

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