SOLUTIONS TOR RECURRENT ISSUE OF LOW CONCRETE COVER IN REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

摘要

Inadequate cover to the embedded reinforcement bars in concrete elements is a common issue in many construction sites. Low concrete cover can cause a range of issues, of which one can be the corrosion of steel in concrete structures. A typical solution to this issue seen on the jobsites is placing extra concrete or mortar on top of the parent concrete, in order to increase the cover to steel reinforcement. However, this solution will require a strict substrate preparation, and usually result in more problems like delamination of the new layer and will be costly. In this article, authors are trying to propose an alternative solution to inadequate concrete cover, by using anti-carbonation coatings, migrating corrosion inhibitors and hydrophobic impregnation systems in different combinations. Several tests have been carried out and will be reported in this article along with actual case studies. Results show that these systems can resolve the inadequacy of cover issue, given the right system is designed based on the environmental conditions, by prolonging the life of reinforced concrete. The durability of the systems is also investigated.