Concrete Repair Works – How we do it and our recommendations:

Concrete Cancer can slowly kill a building if not stopped.

If left untreated, it is not only unsightly, but pieces of concrete may come lose and fall off the building posing a risk of injury to people walking by and damage to other property.

Concrete cancer is rust originating deep within the concrete- specifically within reinforcing steel. As steel rusts, it can expand up to 7 times its original size causing the surrounding concrete to be displaced.

The problem is very likely to be much more extensive than what is apparent on the concrete surface. The cancer will have spread along the reinforcing in each direction. It is impossible to know the extent until the concrete is chiselled away.

Visual signs:

• Flaking, spalling concrete
• Rust Stains leaking out of the concrete
• Bubbling, blistering, plating of concrete render
• Leaks in overhead concrete surfaces
• Rusting and exposed reinforcement pushing concrete to become lose

The typical method of concrete cancer repair follows a process of:

1. Break out unsound concrete and expose reinforcing steel until sound concrete is found and clean non-corroded steel reinforcing.
2. Saw cut repair zone perimeter to eliminate feather edges.
3. The concrete around the reinforcing steel is chiselled away. Prepare substrates including removing any corrosion. Reinstate steel and/or add more as deemed necessary.
4. After completion of material removal, concrete primers and rust inhibitor to the steel are applied prior to reinstating with a high build shrinkage compensated repair mortar. Form work may be erected to close the cavity prior to installing the repair products.
5. For further long-term protection we also recommend a membrane coating system. Install a heavy duty modified acrylic membrane in multiple layers as a moisture barrier primer system. The primer system will assist in preventing bubbling or blistering, which is highly likely if the remedial waterproofing application is not performed, which could otherwise affect the durability of the system. Our recommendation is that treatment of concrete cancer should incorporate proper weather / waterproofing membrane or it risks being a temporary solution.

The membrane system is detailed to all penetrations and junctions. The system will be supported by manufacturer warranty for 10 years and extendable for a further 10 years with a maintenance application.

Cracks can also be repaired using a technique called crack injection where suitable epoxy or polyurethane resins are injected.

Concrete repair in progress

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