Maintenance of Expressway
The expressway and its devices or equipment are always be maintained to make the expressway remain its good condition and ready to serve users excellently. The preventive maintenance is conducted to prolong the expressway’s lifespan. In case that damages are found on the expressway, corrective maintenance will be shortly employed.
The main mission of expressway’s maintenance is to inspect, to preserve the expressway and its devices, equipment and components.
Component structure of the expressway
The expressway’s structures directly loading users’ vehicle weigh consists of expressway concrete slabs, beams, poles, abutments, and other components which belongs to the expressway such as safety wall, traffic noise barriers, traffic signs, emergency phone and illumination systems. Each of which is categorized by the maintenance tasks as follows :
The bridge structure comprises of:
– Superstructure, including bridge deck, beams supporting the bridge deck, road surface and the joint of the road surface – Substructure such as cleat plate beam, bunting and foundations
Surface structure, including the road surface and embankmentSteel
structure, including Rama IX bridge and additional bridge for cars at Site 1, 2, 3
Other structures, including retaining walls, traffic noise barrier, fences, drainage systems, traffic sign, electric lighting, toll collection devices, emergency phone system, closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV), VMS and Matrix Sign.
Expressway Inspection
1. The daily inspection is conducted to examine the conditions and components of the expressway such as misshaping of the traffic surface joints, breaking of safety walls, distorting of iron banister, traffic signs, illumination systems of toll collection systems.
2. The routine inspection is conducted to investigate the expressway’s main structures. The items that are checked consists of cracking of the concrete structures, conditions of steel nuts attached to the iron structures, conditions of Rama IX bridge structure’s cables, the deterioration of traffic signs and road studs, conditions of devices in power supply box. The intensity of illumination of lamps on the expressway, toll collection devices, and CCTV. The elements mentioned earlier are often inspected annually as listed in the annual plan.
3. Apart from daily and routine inspection, EXAT runs special inspection which is more complex. The test comprises of: – carbonation test
– corrosion test
– ultrasonic test
– skid resistant test
– ground penetration radar
– Rama IX bridge structure strength test
Expressway maintenance and repair
There are three types of the maintenance and repair
1. Routine maintenance, including traffic sign cleaning, the traffic surface drainage system, illumination lamps, changing of traffic sign when deteriorated, steel rail painting and minor repairs as scheduled on the plan.
2. Corrective maintenance depends on the actual damage, including the traffic surface restoration, traffic surface joint, safety walls, crack coat, and crack sealing on concrete structures, bulb and lamp wire replacement, toll collection device and emergency phone system, VMS Matrix sign repair
3. The Urgent maintenance will be urgently conducted when the accidents cause damage on the expressway, for example, fire, chemicaltruck and other incidents. Urgent maintenance happens to handle the traffic and helps it flow. Then the permanent maintenance will be adopted to heal the damage and allow the traffic turn in a normal way.
Projects of expressway maintenance
1. Completed task from 2008 to the present
The expressway electrical and system maintenance
– relocation and installation of a High Mast electric post on Chalong Rat Expressway at Artnarong 2 toll plaza
– illumination system maintenance of Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway and Buraphavithi expressway
– electrical network system improvement of Buraphavithi expressway
Expressway’s traffic surface improvement work for the expressway’s life expansion, safety, and excellent service
– Chaloem Maha Nakorn and Buraphavithi expressway entrance slope improvement to reduce the impact of vehicle bump caused by ground settlement
– Traffic surface joint restoration on Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway around Sa Phan Soong temple area.
– Traffic surface coat by using para slurry seal method to increase the road surface friction on Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway around Sa Phan Soong temple grade separation, and Chalong Rat expressway around Rama IX to Artnarong
Increasing the Safety and Decreasing Accidents
– glass road stud installation on Chaloem Maha Nakorn, Chalong Rat and Buraphavithi expressways to enhance driving vision in the rain
– flashing lights installation on exist of Chaloem Maha Nakorn, Chalong Rat, and Buraphavithi expressways
Social and Environmental Responsibility Work
– noise barrier installation of on Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway to reduce the noise effects caused by the traffic of the expressway on teaching and learning around Phoon Sin school
– community support for fire prevention of the community around Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway
1.) 6 areas of fire hydrant installation projects
2.) 12 areas of fire extinguisher purchase projects
2. Works in progress Electrical Wires and System Maintenance Work
– underground wire duct bank concrete encasement work in Buraphavithi expressway
– conduit cable concrete encasement and safety switch installations on the Buraphavithi expressway
– Repair and maintenance of high mast illumination lamps on Chalong Rat expressway and lights under the expressway of Buraphavithi – Installation of automatic toll collection system on Chaloem Maha Nakorn, Chalong Rat, Ram Intra, outer Bangkok Ring Road, and Buraphavithi Expressway.
– Improvement of the speed limit sign (Matrix Sign) on Chalong Rat Expressway.
– Improvement of the traffic condition monitoring system
Improvement of Expressway Surface Road to extend the service life and safety
– The restoration of surface road including joints on Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway
Safety Increasing and Accident Decreasing Work
– Improve the brightness of traffic signs seen from further 15 meters to 30 meters on Chaloem Maha Nakorn, Chalong Rat, and Buraphavithi expressways
– Improve the visibility of traffic signs on Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway
– Installation of Crash Cushion equipment in 3areas (expected to be completed by the month of April 2009).
Other engineering maintenance
– structure reinforcement work (URIB STIFFENER) of Rama IX bridge
– the exterior painting restoration of the Rama IX bridge structure due to over 10 year using
– the restoration of joints for flexibility and expansion of the Rama IX bridge for working life expansion.
– to employ AIT Institute for examination the strengthening method for the foundations of Buraphavithi expressway
Social and Environmental Responsible Work
– installation of noise barriers on Chaloem Maha Nakorn expressway to reduce the impact on residents near the expressway around the Rama IV around the entrance of Tahrue 2 toll plaza