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Will rebar continue to corrode/expand even if the concrete is sealed?
2

Will rebar continue to corrode/expand even if the concrete is sealed?

Will rebar continue to corrode/expand even if the concrete is sealed?

(OP)
Our company has apartment buildings with 2nd floor pre-stressed concrete sidewalks whose rebar is corroding, which in turn is causing concrete spalling problems.

When this spalling occurs pieces of concrete break loose due to the pressure of the expanding rebar.

We are assuming the cause of the rebar corrosion is water reaching the surface of the rebar through absorption of water through the concrete surface.

My questions in order of priority are:

1) If we can completely stop the water penetrating the surface of the concrete, will the rebar continue to expand due to rust simply because it has developed rust before?

2) Or, if we could stop the water penetration by sealing the concrete in some way, will the rust stop because we have stopped the source of water penetration?

(Which in turn would stop the spalling)

3) Can you recommend any products that would give this level of sealing and yet not be so slick as to cause slip and fall accidents? Even if wet?

Many thanks for any advice you can provide about this problem.

RE: Will rebar continue to corrode/expand even if the concrete is sealed?

Not only water is essential in rust formation. Also air (oxygen) should be excluded from contact with rebar.
Before rebuilding the concrete it would possibly help to clean the steel and apply any of a number of available rust preventive compounds.

http://www.welding-advisers.com/

RE: Will rebar continue to corrode/expand even if the concrete is sealed?

Rehab is very hard once you have spalling.
Basically, the answer is no, you can't really fix it.
Can you make it good enough? Probably.

You break way as much damaged concrete as possible. Clean and treat it with rust inhibitors.  Repair the concrete and then seal.  There are dozens of companies that specialize in the rehab of concreat structures.
Here are a few:  Barrier IMP, Madcon Corp, Sherwin Williams.
A good way to find these types of people is through NACE.org and their buyers guide.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Corrosion never sleeps, but it can be managed.
http://www.trenttube.com/Trent/tech_form.htm

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