There aren’t many everyday environments that challenge concrete structures as much as the marine splash zone.
A) Contaminants carried by moisture – chlorides, nitrates and a host of other reactive elements… and the moisture to help them move into the porosity of the concrete.
B) Oscillating moisture levels – for some reason, water coming and going seems to be more harmful to concrete than when the concrete is completely and permanently surrounded by water.
What we’ve repeatedly observed over the years is that marine structures, without significant intervention, tend not to survive their planned service life. This means expensive unplanned repair work at some point, usually while the structure is actively in use.
Markham actually has a test rig for simulating the effect of the splash zone on treated concrete samples. It’s not very decorative, but it’s one of the most fascinating pieces of equipment in our laboratory!
And as a result of both in-house testing, external project studies, and extensive on-site anecdotal evidence, we would like to tell you that a hydrogel waterproofing admixture is an extremely effective means of protecting marine concrete… and thereby saving long-term unplanned costs.
Waterproofing Concrete Using Hydrogel Admixture
Here’s the technical overview:
Hydrogel treatment is a liquid, added to the mix water during the batching process at the supply plant. Combined with the mix water, it is evenly distributed throughout the batch. The cement in the mix then causes the treatment to interact with the water and a hydrogel is formed throughout the concrete. The water, now being in a gel state, is able to maximise the saturation of every cement particle – so essential for uniform hydration. After placement, the hydrogel solidifies within the pore structure to minimise moisture loss during the curing stage and prevent ingress and migration of water and common debilitating substances throughout the life of the concrete.
The benefits of hydrogel waterproofing admixture include
- 1 – WATERPROOFING by immobilising of the moisture content and preventing further ingress.
- 2 – IMPROVED CURING by controlling the hydration – giving a more durable concrete.
- 3 – SHRINKAGE REDUCTION – reducing microcracking during curing, and therefore removing entryways for long-term contamination.
- 4 – SELF HEALING – a hydrogel treatment continues to be effective for the life of the structure, reacting to ambient moisture levels, and sealing non-moving cracks up to 0.5mm.
It also happens to be nil VOC, and improves the concrete handling, making placement easier.
Excited? Want to talk? Get in touch!
Your structure was poured years ago? Don’t despair, MARKHAM also offers remediation treatments!
You didn’t know we had a laboratory? Aha, the CIA doesn’t either! Or maybe they just don’t care…
