Concrete repairs can greatly extend the life of buildings and car parks. Once the cause of the decay has been identified, with hammer testing, visual survey, carbonation test, chloride test and cover meter test (this records the depth of steel reinforcement below concrete and provides a "low cover" warning). Typical concrete problems are caused by low cover to the reinforcement, carbonation of the concrete and/or high chloride levels.
Solutions include the reinstatement of defective concrete and the application of protective Anti-Carbonation coatings which slows the loss of alkalinity to the concrete whilst some coatings can regenerate the concrete and stop decay.
The methods available for repairing concrete may be divided into the following groups:
- Hand applied mortars
- Sprayed concrete and mortar
- Re-casting with concrete
- Flowable grouts and concrete
- Electro-chemical processes
- Corrosion inhibitors
- Filling and injection of cracks
- Sacrificial anodes