Concrete structures in marine tide or splash zones are especially vulnerable to ageing.
Fluctuating marine moisture levels aggressively introduce contaminants such as chlorides and sulphates into the matrix of the concrete. These contaminants react within the concrete, accelerating the concrete ageing process and actively driving rebar corrosion.
If the concrete is made less permeable, these contaminants will have less opportunity to enter, and the deteriorative processes are greatly reduced.
Catalytic hydrogel treatments are an effective way to reduce the permeability of the concrete.
The hydrogel seals the porosity of the concrete, immobilizing moisture and resisting the ingress of contaminants.
Ideally, the catalyst should be introduced as an admixture, such as AQURON 300. Hydrogel treatments can also be spray applied – AQURON 2000 provides CURING equal to 14 days’ water–curing, along with permanent protection against deterioration. The treatment can be used in both pre-cast and in-situ poured elements.
Concrete hydrogel treatments are ideal for marine structures, as the process is hydrophilic, and is therefore not adversely affected by the constant moisture of the harsh environment.
The treatment penetrates the porosity the concrete, and cannot be worn or chipped away from the surface.
Because of these advantages, hydrogel treatments are significantly more effective over the long term than mere coatings.
Introducing the hydrogel proactively at the outset of the structure’s life, will extend the structure’s prime condition and potentially reduce the long-term maintenance costs.
NOTE that if you missed the opportunity to integrate hydrogel into the structure at the outset, the technology can still be applied later in the structure’s life to arrest deterioration and enhance service life. See the ‘Further reading’ links below.
