This paper aims to describe
the story of the “APS Terminal Petroleiro Access Viaduct”, located at Sines,
south
of Portugal, a reinforced concrete
structure with a very low
thickness of
concrete cover that has been exposed, since its construction, to a heavily
aggressive marine environment. After a careful survey, the adopted repair
system has favoured the removal of the aggressive substances from the concrete
(desalinisation) instead of using surgical treatments (concrete removal), that
has been used only when indispensable (spalling). So, the rehabilitation has also
planned the extension of the lifespan of the structure, providing a multi –
strategy criteria that includes the increase of the thickness of the concrete
cover, with good quality concrete, the application of protective coatings and a
well sustained monitoring program, that is showing, up to now, the
effectiveness of the system.