Tsurumi Provides “Green Clean” for Portuguese Landmark - Tsurumi (Europe)

Cleaning any object of historical or national significance requires precise care and attention and the right tools for the job.This applies even when the object in question is a bridge spanning 344m, sitting 60 m above a river. Add in some strict rules on environmental damage and the challenge looks daunting. But with the help of Tsurumi pumps the landmark Maria Pia Bridge in Porto, Portugal got a fresh clean look and an impressive 98% of water used in the task was removed without disappearing into the nearby waterways.

Reducing environmental impacts is a major theme not only in modern construction, but also in maintenance. Much time is devoted to assessing different methods to find the most eco-friendly and efficient solution.

This was the case in Porto, northern Portugal, where the 133 year old Dona Maria Pia Bridge needed to be cleaned. The bridge is a national monument, designed by legendary French engineer Gustave Eiffel before he went on to build France’smost famous landmark,The EiffelTower. Its historical significance meant REFER, the government body responsible for managing railway infrastructure who commissioned the work, had to be sure that no damage would be done to the structure. It insisted that any cleaning process must have the lowest environmental impact.

After exploring a variety of options, the ideal solution was found. Industrial cleaning experts Montaco used a high-pressure water system to clean the bridge and a tailor-made water recovery system to collect the water used in the process. Central to the entire set up were a network ofTsurumi pumps, from the company’s LH and KTZ series.

“Our pumps are known for their versatility and ease of use,” saysTakanoriYoshida, projectmanager at Tsurumi Europe. “But this is probably the first time they played a central role in cleaning a national monument. However their robust design, effective performance and proven reliability mean they suit just about any need.On projects around theworld our pumps have a record of meeting and surpassing requirements no matter what the job.”