Coating Concrete

Technical Note No: 18

By: Paul Lambert

Mott MacDonald

Price 5.00

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Introduction
The majority of serious problems that can occur to reinforced concrete take place within the body of the structure. The cover concrete may already be carbonated or heavily contaminated with corrosion-inducing chlorides (see TN 1). The interior of the concrete itself may be degrading due to its aggregate type, the type of cement used or the method used for curing during construction. The only readily accessible part of the structure is the surface but fortunately there are a number of different approaches that can be taken at the surface to address problems at depth, and a wide range of methods that can be used to categorise them. Some treatments sit on the surface, spanning defects and providing a simple passive barrier. Others are applied to the surface but penetrate the concrete and have an effect at depth. Some treatments alter the appearance of a structure, improving the aesthetics, while others cannot be visually detected within days of being applied. Surface coatings and treatments offer a relatively simple and cost effective method for enhancing the life and appearance of reinforced concrete structures. materials and provide an immediate improvement in the appearance of the structure. By employing a vapour permeable coating system it is also possible to allow the concrete to dry out which in turn can reduce the risks from many forms of degradation, including corrosion. Vapour permeable coatings can also help avoid blistering from trapped moisture. As a simple barrier, it will not remove any harmful contamination that is already present but they can help minimise the effects of carbonation by both stopping further ingress of carbon dioxide and allowing the re-distribution of the residual alkalinity. The structure pictured above was coated because of extensive carbonation. Several years on, it was found that the alkalinity had redistributed and the concrete cover was once again strongly alkaline. Applying a barrier concrete is not without its difficulties. Concrete can be porous, damp, dusty and highly alkaline. Many common organic coating systems are not tolerant of alkaline substrates and have been developed to be applied to a dry, non-porous substrate. Even if the surface of the concrete is dry it may contain significant moisture at depth. This can result in blistering and may have an adverse reaction, in the most extreme cases resulting in foaming of the coating. If the coating is vapour permeable and the substrate is heavily contaminated with chlorides, the subsequent drying of the concrete can result in the formation of salt crystals resulting in the failure of the coating. The use of polymer modified cementitious systems can overcome many of the problems associated with coating concrete. These are applied onto saturated surface dry concrete (fully saturated but with no pooled or running water of the surface) and so are significantly easier to use than systems requiring dry substrates.

Barrier Coatings
Such treatments provide a barrier between the concrete and the environment to which it is exposed. This can prevent further ingress of damaging

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Cementitious coatings have been used in conjunction with an epoxy coated glass scrim to provide restraint to concrete that has a risk of delamination. There is a commonly expressed concern that coating concrete may mask the formation of cracks or other defects so as disguise signs of degradation or even structural problems. Except where such coatings have been designed to bridge existing cracks and accommodate the formation of new ones, the majority of coating systems will clearly show new cracks. The picture below shows a structure protected with an elastomeric coating system capable of accommodating existing cracks. Should new crack form these would show through immediately. From an inspection point of view, a well-applied coating system offers an excellent background against which to view the condition of structures and pinpoint the location and extent of newly formed defects.

Hydrophobic Impregnations
This class of materials, which includes silanes, siloxanes and silicate-based materials, are applied directly to the surface of the concrete. They penetrate into the surface and form a water repellent lining on the pore walls. This impedes the penetration of chlorides and other waterborne aggressive agents into the concrete and because they are vapour permeable they allow the concrete to dry out. Properly applied, they should have little or no effect on the appearance of the concrete. Amongst the limitations of these materials are their unknown lifespan and how to assess when, if ever, they require reapplication. They work best on vertical surfaces where the water can run off and are not as effective barriers against standing water. When first introduced, there were concerns that the resulting drying out of the surface would increase the rate of carbonation,

although to date there has been no evidence of this occurring in the UK. Such materials can be very effective when used in combination with a more conventional surface barrier system and are now commonly employed as a primer in a high performance multi-coat system.

Conclusions
The majority of reinforced concrete is relatively trouble-free and lowmaintenance. However, when problems do occur these often occur at depth, most notably corrosion of the reinforcement. The only readily accessible area for remediation and maintenance is the exposed surface, but through the considered use of surface coating and treatments, it is possible to modify the nature of the concrete limit the ingress of aggressive species remove excess moisture redistribute alkalinity

plus, improve the appearance for both enhanced aesthetics and easier, more effective inspection.

This Monograph is published by the Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA), Kingsley House, Ganders Business Park, Kingsley, Bordon, Hampshire, GU35 9LU T: 01420 471614 F: 01420 471610 E:
admin@corrosionprevention.org.uk

Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written consent of the publishers. November 2010

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