Concrete cancer, also known as concrete shedding, is a serious problem that can cause structural damage to buildings. It is caused by the oxidation of steel reinforcement in concrete, which leads to corrosion and cracking of the concrete. Fortunately, there are ways to treat and prevent concrete cancer. The most common way to treat concrete cancer is to remove chloride, which is the main cause of corrosion.
Hiring a crack injection company can also be an effective solution for treating concrete cancer. This can be done by waterblasting or using electric hammers, chisels, concrete saws and other similar tools. After removing chloride, the reinforcing bar is made resistant to corrosion by applying protective coatings. To strengthen protection against chloride contamination, a surface treatment in the form of a cathodic system is applied. Waterproofing concrete is essential to prevent water from corroding steel beams.
Consider high-quality waterproofing options, such as Wolfin or Cosmofin waterproofing membranes to seal new horizontal concrete surfaces. This minimizes the risk of future water damage and prevents harsh chemicals that contaminate the concrete from entering through the pores. If the damage caused by concrete cancer is moderate, you may be able to remove damaged concrete, clean and replace oxidized and exposed steel, and fill in cracks. Remedies may include site-specific electrochemical treatment for near-ocean properties, or simply removing damaged concrete, cleaning or removing affected steel, and replacing with new material.
An anti-carbonation coating or other specialized coating can be applied to strengthen and preserve the concrete. If left untreated, not only is it unsightly, but pieces of concrete can come off and fall off the building, posing a risk of injury to people passing by and damage to other properties. It is very likely that the problem is much more extensive than what is seen on the concrete surface. The cancer will have spread along the reinforcement in each direction.
It is impossible to know the extent until the concrete is chiseled. The membrane system is detailed for all penetrations and joints. The system will be backed by the manufacturer's warranty for 10 years and will be extended for another 10 years with a maintenance application. Chemical water repellency can be added to the concrete surface itself by applying Resistain, a waterproofing sealant for concrete. Crack routing and sealing can be used in conditions that require corrective repairs and unnecessary structural repairs.
This method involves enlarging the crack along its exposed face and filling and sealing it with a suitable joint sealant. Remember, concrete cancer is really just the oxidation of steel reinforcement. Therefore, once detected, all you need to do is treat and repair the steel. While that sounds easy enough, the reality is that it is a very slow, tedious, slow and costly process. It requires that the concrete be broken and removed around the reinforcement, to fully expose each affected rod. A typical repair procedure is to wire brush the bars to remove all traces of rust and return them to the bare, shiny metal.
The next step is to thoroughly coat the steel structure with a protective epoxy coating. Clearly, we can't push the slat back “further back” to improve coverage, so we rely on protective coatings to act as a barrier. Once all of the affected steel bars have been properly coated, the concrete can be repaired with a suitable repair mortar. As long as the repair process is carried out thoroughly and properly, you can be confident that the concrete will continue to perform satisfactorily and do its job for years to come. Waterproofing concrete is essential to prevent water or moisture from corroding steel beams. If you simply trust a practical man, you can't expect a long-term solution, unless that person truly understands how each of the specific symptoms of cancer are related to other possible structural problems.
A structural engineer can accurately diagnose cancer in concrete but he may be able to determine if your building has been affected by looking for some telltale signs. When a waterproofing membrane fails or there are gaps around it, it can start the concrete degradation process. Waterproofing is perhaps the best way to prevent concrete cancer, so invest in good quality waterproofing membranes to minimize chances of water leaks. For situations where concrete carbonation and low coverage are problems, an engineer might recommend using a polymer-modified repair system or additional reinforcing steel anodes before applying new concrete or replacing steel in severe cases. Although cracking may seem like an external harmless problem that can be easily covered by reapplying a new layer of concrete, most of the time it's actually a serious structural problem. Unfortunately this awareness of durability of concrete and risk of corrosion was something construction industry didn't understand well in past decades. Before you start you need understand what specific cancer is what you can do about it importance of getting expert help how you can prevent it from happening again. Concrete is porous material and can easily absorb elements that surround it including this corrosive acid. .
