What Are the Most Effective Concrete Repair Products and Techniques?

Previously, the concrete repair was seen as a minor issue and without much importance but as problems in old structures and damage to new concrete elements began to appear, the construction sector began to demand the creation of regulations and guidelines for its correct repair. So it gradually became a completely new segment on its own within the construction industry.

First, we want to share a little about the birth of this important segment before talking about its advantages and the various types of solutions that currently exist.

It all started in the USA

In 1988 at the World of Concrete in the United States (one of the largest and most important construction fairs in the world) many attendees expressed this concern. And it was as a result of this need that an association of specialists in the field of repair was created that same year, whose current name is ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute).

The ICRI is one of the most important promoters and referents of the best practices and guides in concrete repair. One of the keys to the success of this institute is that its committees are multidisciplinary and are made up of manufacturers of repair products, researchers, students, and contractors specialized in different market segments.

The purpose of ICRI, as expressed in its statutes and website, is to:

“Improving the quality of concrete restoration, repair, and protection, through education and communication of best practices among the members of the association and everyone who uses its services.”

Concrete Pavement Damage: Types and Possible Causes

On numerous occasions, there are damages to the pavement due to the load they support. Thus, we find that many driveways cannot withstand the continuous efforts to which they are subjected. This means that the tracks do not reach the useful life that was originally planned or calculated.

Next, we are going to analyze the possible causes that generate damage to the pavement:

● Increase in traffic, mainly heavy traffic, which may increase faster than anticipated in the planning phase.
● Adverse weather conditions, for example, excessive and frequent heating during the summer months. With heat, the asphalt loses elasticity and permanent deformations occur.
● Material fatigue. The life of the surface can be reduced if unsuitable asphalt mixtures or defective paving are used, for example during compaction.
● Pavement damage manifests itself as deformations, cracks, and loss of material. These damages have a negative influence on driving and also affect traffic safety, so they must be repaired in time.

If the concrete repair of the surface is delayed, it will cause even greater damage and may even destroy the entire surface.

Types of surface damage

Next, we are going to determine which are the most frequent surface damages and their possible causes:

● Wear due to friction, and lack of grip. It may be due to the use of aggregates that are not resistant to polishing, the lack of adhesion of the binder, or to the use of an unsuitable binder, a failure in compaction, or an excessive traffic load.
● Material losses. Due to an error in the spread, the use of an inappropriate mixture, the fragility of the material, or a poor bond between layers
● Superficial transverse and branching fissures. They can be due to the aging of the material, an error in the spread, a poor bond between layers, an insufficient layer thickness, or a lack of resistance in the subsoil.
● Deep longitudinal fissures. They can be produced due to the lack of resistance of the subsoil, the heavy channeled traffic, or to the poor union between joints.
● Grooves. If ruts appear on the surface it may be due to improper mixing, insufficient bonding between layers, use of too soft a binder, paving error, or excessive load from high heat.
● Settlements. They can be due to a lack of resistance to the subsoil, the presence of water in the subsoil, or the fact that frost damage has occurred in the lower layers.

As we have indicated above, if any of the aforementioned damage occurs on a surface, the most appropriate thing to do is to repair it as soon as possible, before the deterioration increases.

Types of concrete repairs

The various repairs that can be made to concrete can be classified into the following categories:

1 crack repair
2 Repair of structural elements
3 Repair of cavities, perforations, and detachments in columns, beams, or pavements
4 Repair of moving joints
5 Anti-corrosion repair
6 Repair against carbonation and chloride attacks
7 waterproof repair

Concrete Repair Products

The category of products focused on concrete repair is very broad, however, some of the most requested are:

1 Concrete Bonding Adhesives (Latex or Epoxy Based)
2 Epoxy Adhesives for Crack Injection
3 Epoxy pastes for hollowing out cavities
4 Anticorrosive agents for rod protection
5 Cementitious mortars without shrinkage
6 Carbon fibers for structural reinforcement
7 Anti-carbonation paints and coatings
8 Epoxy coatings for protection against acid attack

Of the previous categories, the one that has gained the most strength in recent years is cementitious mortars without shrinkage.

General advantages of these Products

Some benefits of repair systems for concrete are:

1 Restore structures, managing to extend their useful life.
2 To be able to make changes in the use of the property, simply by increasing the resistance at certain specific points.
3 Avoid demolishing the concrete, saving execution times.
4 Bring back use to structures that in other cases would have to be dismantled.

The concrete repair Houston category is quite broad and each one requires specialized labor, it is important to always work together with the manufacturer and specialized concrete repair contractors such as Pavement Services for the correct use and application of these solutions.

We hope that this article will be useful for you to learn everything about the uses and benefits of this type of solution.