CONCRETE PROTECTION

Corrosion protection for bridges and wharfs 

Concrete protection is essential to ensure the longest possible lifespan from these critical engineering structures.

Besides the outstanding waterproofing for residential and commercial projects that our products offer, our technology is used around the world to protect critical infrastructure and industrial projects against degradation that comes from mechanical wear of the surface and from corrosion of the steel reinforcement as a result of waterborne chlorides and other contaminants in the concrete matrix.

Wharfs and marine structures are top-priority targets for chloride-induced corrosion, seconded only by bridge decks and parking decks, routinely destroyed by de-icing salts applied on bridge decks—or carried into car parks by incoming car tires.

CWS technology protects concrete from degradation. 

No matter how well concrete is designed, produced, placed, and cured, cracking can never be avoided, and it only takes a hairline crack to allow contaminants (chlorides, sulfates, acid rain, etc.) to penetrate and reach the rebar. The initiation of rust formation on the surface of the rebar causes spalling of the concrete, as a result of expansion of the steel cross section and, eventually, the destruction of the structure, which may have even worse results if loss of life is caused, as in the case of bridge collapses or building collapses. Accidents like the Morandi Bridge in Genoa recently, the terrible mass collapses of buildings in Turkey, and the collapse of the 12-floor Champlain Towers South in Florida are stark reminders of what havoc steel corrosion can wreak on a project.

The Ponte Morandi bridge, Genoa, after its collapse, which has claimed dozens of lives. Luca Zennaro/EPA

On the other hand, concrete exposed to harsh mechanical wear in port installations, warehouses, car parks, bridge decks, etc. cannot be underestimated. Mechanical wear accounts for a big part of  concrete degradation, leading to suspension of activity and loss of income for port operators, car park owners, warehouse managers, and road authorities.

The effective self-healing of existing static cracks and subsequent healing of future cracks that CWS100 and CWS Admix offer, by creating a sub-surface water barrier, protects against the corrosion caused by the abovementioned contaminants and leads to a significant increase in the service life of projects.

At the same time, as CWS100 hardens concrete more than granite, it protects areas of concrete subjected to mechanical wear (wharfs, container storage areas, loading zones, car parks, etc.) from degradation that would otherwise necessitate the suspension of the activity for repairs, which would be detrimental to the operation and income of the project owner.