Bridge - canal repair, Branch III "Yadenitsa", "Belmeken" Dam area
Enterprise "Dams and Cascades"
"Yadenitsa" Dam Area
A thorough cleaning of all metal surfaces of the bridge-canal was carried out to a metallic shine;
The structure of the facility is painted twice, with the thickness of the anti-corrosion coating being at least 50 microns;
A coating with combined properties was used - rust converter, primer and final protective coating;
The total area of the structure is 255 m² and includes corrugated sheet metal, upper truss, lower chord, diagonals and safety railing;
All activities were carried out by certified height workers using the rope access method;
The facility is part of the "Yadenitsa" Derivation System, the purpose of which is to increase the capacity of the "Chaira" PAWPP.
We have implemented a specialized project to restore the anti-corrosion coating of a metal structure, part of Branch III of the Yadenitsa Diversion System – a key element of the large-scale hydrotechnical and energy project related to increasing the capacity of the Chaira Hydroelectric Power Plant.
The facility is a steel bridge-canal with a spatial truss structure, designed to overcome a ravine with a depth of between 6 and 10 meters. The structure has a triangular cross-section and a height of 2.30 m, mounted on reinforced concrete foundations on both sides of the ravine. In the upper part, a pedestrian walkway made of corrugated sheet metal with a length of 41 m and a width of 1.20 m, secured with a 1.30 m high railing, and a Ø500 pipeline is located in the space between the trusses.
As a result of many years of operation and the impact of atmospheric conditions, significant compromise of the existing anti-corrosion coating, covering over 50% of the metal surfaces, has been established. This necessitated a complete restoration in order to protect the structure from corrosion and extend its service life.
Within the framework of the project, the old anti-corrosion coating was completely cleaned of all metal elements, followed by the application of a new protective system. Two layers of a specialized coating with combined properties were applied – rust converter, primer and final protective coating, with a total thickness of at least 50 microns, ensuring long-term anti-corrosion protection of the metal structure.
The site is located in a difficult-to-access mountainous area in the Western Rhodopes, near the Yundola area, about 21 km from the town of Belovo. The characteristic steep terrain and limited access by forest road create serious challenges in the implementation, which is why all activities were implemented through rope access (industrial mountaineering) by teams of certified height workers. The application of the alpine method allowed for the safe and efficient implementation of all activities on the metal structures, without the need for transportation and construction of scaffolding or the use of heavy access machinery.
