Colored concrete restoration method: For chromatic design and application of restoration mortars on smooth surfaces of colored concrete

摘要

Interventions on Concrete Heritage imply special aesthetic requirements, especially from the chromatic point-of-view, between the repair material and the substrate. Currently, there is a lack of products and methods that address these concerns. This paper presents the Colored Concrete Restoration Method (CCR-method), to the chromatic design and application of restoration mortars on colored concrete surfaces. The CCR-method comprises: (a) chromatic characterization of surfaces by image processing; (b) design and color tuning of restoration mortar, through adding pigments to a white mortar; (c) production and application of restoration mortar; and (d) evaluation of the restoration. The CCR-method was applied to the restoration of yellow concrete panels with smooth surfaces and enables the desired color matching of the restoration, which is not perceptible to the human eye. The results obtained evidencing the ability of CCR-method to define, design and apply color restoration mortars, proving to be an extremely useful tool for interventions on Concrete Heritage.