Protecting Concrete From Freeze Thaw

Salt water and other chemicals get into the pores and break down concrete.

Protecting concrete from freeze thaw.

Concrete damage can be ugly and costly. In structures that will carry large loads at an early age concrete must be. Salt also lowers the freezing point of water and increases the pressure of frozen water thereby intensifying the effect of the freeze thaw cycle. Concrete is one of the most durable building materials known to man but it can be vulnerable to deterioration from weather salts and the freeze thaw cycle.

Traffic and wind borne debris erode it rust and oxidation break the structure from within freeze thaw cycles break the surface these are some of the biggest enemies of concrete and create the problems you see here. As penetrating sealers these products will seep deep into the concrete to structurally bond to. Protect from freeze thaw damage. Positive or negative side application.

A quality air entrainment system consists of a well dispersed microscopic porosity system. Permanently protect concrete from freeze thaw damage by using creto deep penetrating sealer dps. Ranging from one day for high early strength concrete that is not exposed to freeze thaw events during service to 20 days or more for a concrete element that would carry large loads at an early age. Protect concrete from freeze thaw damage.

Spray lock concrete protection scp technology offers cost effective protection solutions that meet the demands. Concrete mixes can be designed to resist this damage. That equates to a minimum of 80 freeze thaw cycles annually. The only way to prevent freeze thaw damage is to treat your concrete with a quality concrete sealer.

Siloxa tek 8500 or siloxa tek 8505 are the best sealers to use to prevent freeze thaw damage and prevent the incursion of water into the concrete. In lower temperatures this extra water adds additional ice to the concrete upon refreezing which adds hydraulic pressure to the. Entrained air bubbles are the only way to properly protect concrete from damage by freeze thaw. When ice melts it carries approximately 10 more water than normal.

Protection while the concrete is placed consolidated and finished. The consequences of freeze thaw damage can be particularly devastating to the appearance of stamped concrete including ugly scaling or flaking of the surface popouts and cracking. Protect the concrete from freezing by external means i e blankets enclosures or heaters. The important parameters include the air content and the spacing factor.

Modify the mix design so the concrete will gain the necessary strength before freezing or. For more information see concrete basics on page 945 of this issue or the article cold weather finishing in the november 1993 issue of concrete construction.