Meet BlueSpine, a company specialized in corrosion and cathodic protection of reinforced concrete structures.
Company presentation
Challenges of corrosion
BlueSpine is a young company specialized in the corrosion of reinforced concrete structures. Our expertise is based on 60 years of combined academic research and experience in this field. This gives us a critical perspective and a deep understanding of the complex physical phenomena involved in the early degradation of civil engineering structures.
When we founded BlueSpine, one observation became clear to us: corrosion is the main cause of premature aging of our infrastructures. No structure is spared, and many of them reach the end of their intended lifespan. Indeed, infrastructure built between the 1960s and 1980s, mostly constructed with reinforced concrete, was designed with a lifespan of 30 to 50 years. In this context, our infrastructure stock is reaching maturity and requires measures for the preservation of our built heritage.
The aging of our infrastructure poses several challenges. There is first and foremost an obvious economic issue: direct costs related to infrastructure corrosion are estimated at 2% of the GDP of industrialized countries. These costs include expenses directly related to corrosion damage such as structural repair works, or demolition and reconstruction of the structure. However, they do not take into account indirect costs such as loss of operation during repair works, maintenance costs, etc. There is also a significant social issue, as infrastructure degradation compromises the safety of users (risks of concrete collapse, structure collapse, etc.). Finally, the environmental impact of corrosion is not negligible. Indeed, cement production is one of the most polluting industries in the world, not to mention the energy required for steel production. Thus, rebuilding a new structure rather than rehabilitating an existing one represents a considerable ecological cost.
Face à ces constats et ces enjeux, il était pour nous essentiel de nous engager dans la lutte contre la corrosion, avec pour objectif de maximiser la durée de vie de notre patrimoine bâti.
Faced with these findings and challenges, it was essential for us to engage in the fight against corrosion, with the objective of maximizing the lifespan of our built heritage.
BlueSpine's Activities
BlueSpine se spécialise dans le traitement de la corrosion des infrastructures. Nous intervenons sur toute la chaîne de valeur de ce processus, depuis les diagnostics des structures touchées par cette pathologie, jusqu’à leur traitement. Notre entreprise se compose d’un bureau d’étude d’ingénierie, ainsi que d’une Business Unit dédiée à la conception et fabrication de matériel.
BlueSpine specializes in the treatment of corrosion in the infrastructures. We intervene throughout the value chain of this process, from diagnostics of structures affected by this pathology to their treatment. Our company consists of an engineering study office, as well as a Business Unit dedicated to the design and manufacture of equipment.
BlueSpine's engineering office supports civil engineering professionals in the fight against corrosion. We conduct corrosion diagnostics, durability studies, and cathodic protection dimensioning. Thanks to our mastery of digital twins, we can accurately model all types of structures exposed to corrosion, thus optimizing our calculations to meet the specific needs of our clients.
Furthermore, BlueSpine develops its own cathodic protection equipment. Indeed, we design and manufacture a solution for treating structures affected by corrosion. Our cathodic protection automaton notably integrates artificial intelligence to ensure the installation's safety and performance according to EN ISO 12696 standards.
Finally, BlueSpine designs and manufactures its comprehensive diagnostic tool. We aim to provide a turnkey solution for all civil engineering stakeholders wishing to conduct corrosion diagnostics on their structures. Our diagnostic tool is intended to integrate all the necessary measures for a complete diagnosis while facilitating data processing and diagnostic campaigns.
BlueSpine's purpose
BlueSpine's mission is to provide solutions to combat the corrosion of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures to all civil engineering professionals. We are convinced that we can contribute to the preservation of our built heritage by offering turnkey solutions to diagnosticians, engineering offices, construction and execution companies, as well as project owners and conductors. Bluespine therefore puts all its expertise at the service of civil engineering sector professionals.
Our industries
The solutions offered by Bluespine apply to a variety of reinforced concrete structures, thus addressing a wide range of industries. Firstly, we target transportation infrastructures, such as bridges, viaducts, and tunnels, which importance is crucial.
Energy infrastructures also pose a major challenge, including nuclear power plant towers and reservoirs, as well as offshore wind turbine floaters, representing the future of electricity production in Europe. We also address dams, penstocks, and power plants, thus emphasizing the crucial importance of energy production.
Buildings also present significant challenges, as evidenced by recent incidents such as balcony collapses on seaside residences or in major urban areas. BlueSpine offers its services to all public buildings constructed with reinforced concrete, including hotels, hospitals, and pools, where reinforced concrete basins may be subject to waterproofing issues leading to corrosion.
Furthermore, BlueSpine intervenes in the preservation of 20th-century reinforced concrete cultural and historical heritage, including structures designed by renowned architects such as Le Corbusier, classified as Historical Monuments. We offer non-destructive and structure-respectful approaches to preserve these buildings.
We also address water treatment structures, particularly water towers and wastewater treatment plants, whose reinforced concrete basins are particularly prone to corrosion.
Finally, BlueSpine offers its services to the industrial sector, intervening on reinforced concrete storage and production infrastructures. We also tackle complex electrochemistry and corrosion issues that may occur on other elements of the industrial sector.
BlueSpine's activities
BlueSpine's engineering
Our engineering office conducts all studies related to corrosion activities and supports you on all complex issues related to this field.
Our diagnostic studies
Corrosion diagnosis is a crucial initial step in managing corrosion protection for structures. At Bluespine, we conduct corrosion diagnostics and assist you in analyzing complex results.
This study is devided in several essential phases. First, a visual inspection of the structure and an evaluation of the surface condition are carried out to map damages and possible former repairs. This step allows targeting areas for measurement during the survey.
We use non-destructive methods for chemical and electrochemical analyses of your structures. Potential mapping allows identifying corrosion clusters in an inspected area. The potential is measured according to a representative mesh, allowing drawing a map of steel potentials in the area. We then compare electrochemical potential gradients to highlight areas where this value drops abnormally, a sign of active corrosion zones.
We also perform resistivity mapping to complement the diagnosis and analyze the corrosion kinetics, guiding the choice of appropriate treatment.
Additional laboratory tests on samples are then carried out to determine the origin of the pathology, notably by measuring the carbonation front and chloride content. These analyses allow recommending the most suitable treatment for the structure. It is also recommended to perform other measurements (sulfates, for example) to assess the state of the concrete and adjust the treatment strategy based on these results.
BlueSpine develops corrosion diagnostic protocols and analyzes complex results, providing treatment recommendations tailored to the specificities of each structure. We are thus able to determine the origin, activity, and extent of the pathology on your structures.
Our durability studies
Once the characteristics of the structure and its environment are well understood, it becomes possible to estimate its approximate lifespan in the absence of treatment. We conduct durability studies to assess the residual lifespan of your structure, whether old or new, and we will provide recommendations on actions to optimize the maintenance of your infrastructure.
We perform advanced calculations and digital design to evaluate the progression of the pathogen in the concrete. We thus determine the time before the corrosion initiation phase begins and calculate the progression of corrosion over time based on the specificities of your structure.
Our approach takes into consideration external factors that influence the lifespan of your structure, such as the level of exposure to aggressive agents, the structural arrangements of the facility, and the concrete formulation. Thus, we are able to maximize the lifespan of a structure from its conception, by optimizing its geometry and selecting the most suitable materials for its use and environment.
Furthermore, these studies allow us to recommend preventive maintenance on structures even before considering treatment, offering long-term economic benefits for facility managers. They also help detect any corrosion activity upstream to avoid any future deterioration.
Cathodic protection design
Cathodic protection is a complex electrochemical treatment aimed at slowing down or stopping the corrosion of structures. BlueSpine performs the sizing of your cathodic protection system for all types of infrastructure.
This process involves targeting active corrosion areas to neutralize the corrosion current and protect the steel. To do this, an electric current is sent to counteract the corrosion current. The calculation of the necessary protection current depends on the diagnosis made on the structure as well as its technical and physical specifications, which requires precise design adapted to each structure.
BlueSpine guides you in the design of cathodic protection, regardless of the technological choice made (impressed current cathodic protection or galvanic). We assist you in selecting the equipment to optimize the system's performance while minimizing inherent risks. We determine the type, geometry, and quantity of anodes to install, as well as their position to ensure optimal protection of your structure. With our expertise in digital twins, we evaluate the treatment's effectiveness and adjust it based on the parameters identified during the diagnosis.
Our support to project owners and contractors
It is common, when a structure shows advanced signs of corrosion, to decide to demolish it for replacement. In the era of ecological transition, we are now able to offer solutions to rehabilitate these structures affected by corrosion. BlueSpine provides support to contractors and project owners in these rehabilitation projects involving steel corrosion issues in concrete.
We assist our counterparts in planning and managing rehabilitation projects, providing support, advice, and facilitating communication among all project stakeholders.
Thanks to our expertise and certifications, we are able to verify the technical aspects of rehabilitation projects and guide you optimally in cases involving corrosion. We can also validate cathodic protection design, assist the project manager in choosing suppliers, and manage all necessary data for the rehabilitation project. Our expertise covers the entire rehabilitation chain, thus offering comprehensive support to our clients.
Legal expertise
BlueSpine can act as a technical expert in legal expertise involving corrosion issues on reinforced or prestressed concrete structures. The main causes of damage related to corrosion are generally attributable to cathodic protection failures, design errors, and environmental factors.
We collaborate with legal experts to help determine the involvement of corrosion and its origin in the deterioration of the structure when a disaster occurs. Thanks to our certifications and confirmed experience in the field of corrosion, we are able to accurately identify the causes of the disaster as well as the responsibility of the various parties in the deterioration of the structure.
Design and manufacturing of cathodic protection equipment
BlueSpine designs and manufactures its own corrosion treatment equipment for reinforced concrete structures. Our flagship solution is a smart cathodic protection cabinet. This cabinet is designed to deliver precise current in the required range, thus ensuring optimal protection of your structure. Controlled remotely and in real-time, it offers unmatched flexibility and ease of use, allowing connection from any connected device.
We offer a complete treatment solution. Thus, we provide all the accessories necessary for the installation of cathodic protection in reinforced concrete structures. Our cables comply with the current standard (NF EN ISO 12696), and we also offer titanium distributors, reference electrodes for monitoring installation performance (mandatory according to the standard), as well as anodes for sending current into the structure to be protected.
Our cathodic protection equipment ensures precise current generation, thus guaranteeing optimal and efficient protection while mastering the risks of over-polarization of the structure. Thanks to the integrated connectivity in our cabinet, you benefit from easy and fast equipment management, with automatic monitoring of the corrosion treatment system for increased reactivity in critical situations.
Data security is also a priority. All your structure's data are recorded in an online database, encrypted and secured with dual authentication, accessible remotely and in real-time via an ergonomic and intuitive web interface for easy navigation.
BlueSpine's revolutionary artificial intelligence system allows the cathodic protection controller to self-pilot based on recorded environmental data and to adapt its functionalities based on performance measured by sensors (current intensity, temperature, potential, pH, etc.), thus ensuring dynamic and proactive protection of your structure.
BlueSpine positions itself as the preferred partner for cathodic protection of reinforced or prestressed civil engineering structures, offering remarkable technological advantages and an innovative approach to combating corrosion.
Design and manufacturing of diagnostic tools
BlueSpine designs and manufactures its own corrosion diagnostic tool for reinforced concrete. Equipped with cutting-edge techniques and integrated intelligence, this measuring tool is accompanied by a collaborative platform that facilitates measurement interpretation and report writing.
Our diagnostic tool aims to minimize the risk of errors during your campaigns through reliable and automated measurements. Numeric measurements are automatically and securely transmitted to the data post-processing platform, thus reducing the risk of loss and input errors. Its ergonomic design allows for easy measurements, even in hard-to-reach areas, without requiring third-party assistance, resulting in real-time savings on-site.
The associated data processing platform enables quick analysis of measurements, providing your clients with a dedicated space to interact with you and access diagnostic results as well as all necessary documents.
Our comprehensive solution includes a measuring enclosure, measurement processing software, and a collaborative platform connecting all stakeholders in the corrosion diagnostic: diagnosticians, project owners, laboratories, etc.
Our measuring enclosure allows for all necessary measurements for a comprehensive diagnosis of your structures, in accordance with European standards EN ISO 12696. It also offers advanced features such as PickandPlay™ and voice assistance, facilitating diagnostics in hard-to-reach areas. Bluetooth communication between the measuring enclosure and the tablet provides greater freedom of movement on the construction site.
For data processing, your data is gathered on its SAAS platform, ensuring secure and intelligent storage. Measurements are automatically stored, and semi-automated report generation saves considerable time in analysis and report writing. The collaborative platform also provides a dedicated space for your clients to view diagnostic results and manage their projects with ease.
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