Ever wanted to know why concrete deteriorates?
Concrete deterioration is a big problem for businesses, residential properties, and municipalities. Before you can create an effective plan for repairing and strengthening concrete, you need to understand why it is deteriorating in the first place. Two of the most common factors that affect concrete’s deterioration rate are placement and service condition problems.
Placement Problems
Putting concrete in the right place is important for multiple reasons. It allows the end user to use the structure properly, satisfies the requirements of the design, and also ensures that the structure won’t have problems with premature deterioration. One of the most apparent signs of a placement problem is cracking in the concrete. Sometimes it is a result of an inadequate substrate, an elevated water-to-cement ratio, poor curing methods, bad timing of control-joint installation and other installation problems. It can also be a sign of a bigger problem with the structure’s design itself like a lack of reinforcement or control-joints that are too close together.
Some of the most tangible signs of concrete placement problems include:
- Small air bubbles or bug holes in the concrete surface
- Rock pockets
- Honeycombing
- Cold joints
Service Condition Problems
Service condition issues are those that did not occur only as a result of an installation problem or mixture problem but as a result of the location or the manner in which the structure is used.
Common signs of service condition issues include:
- Corrosion of the metals inside of the concrete (reinforcing steel)
- Freeze-thaw cycles leaving concrete saturated with water expanding, scaling, and delaminating
- Chemical deterioration from harsh chemicals used to treat snow and ice. This can also occur in areas with particularly bad acid rain.
- Alkali-aggregate reaction
- Erosion, which is the most difficult concrete deterioration problem to resolve, as a certain degree of it always occurs in nature.
Prevent Concrete Deterioration with Concrete Visions
Concrete Visions has over 12 years of experience and expertise in concrete scanning and we know how to detect any problems lurking beneath the surface. We use ground penetrating radar accurately and expertly and are familiar in many other methods that can be used when appropriate like concrete x-ray and electromagnetic conductivity. We are also very familiar with the latest construction safety techniques and train all of our workers to do their work quickly, accurately, and safely. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, give is a call at (410) 766-2210 or visit us online. For more articles and tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.