About Concrete Chipping and Cancer Any exposure to air or water creates a carbonic acid that can cause corrosion of steel. Specific cancer refers to the spread (and worsening) of concrete chipping. All types of walls can have cracks and are often a mere aesthetic problem rather than a danger to the structural integrity of a building. However, in the case of concrete chipping, the visible cracks caused by concrete cancer, there is more at stake than just the appearance.
Today, we'll provide you with all the information you need to identify a particular cancer and take appropriate steps when treating it. Unfortunately, the problem is likely to be much more extensive than the symptoms on the concrete surface suggest. As steel oxidizes, it can expand to eight times its original size, causing the surrounding concrete to crack. Once established, oxidation will extend along the reinforcement in each direction.
It is impossible to know the full extent of the damage until all of the defective concrete has been chiseled. Concrete cancer is a serious problem that, if left undiagnosed and left untreated, can affect the structural integrity of the building. Concrete cancer is the term given to the gradual destruction of concrete caused by oxidation of the embedded steel structure as a result of water penetration and can lead to the structural integrity of a building being compromised. When water penetrates concrete through fine cracks or eroded porous surfaces, the structural steel within which it expands oxidizes.
When steel expands, it creates more concrete cracks, allowing for greater water penetration, the spread of cancer, and ultimately chipping (when concrete starts to fall out of a building), which will continue if left untreated. Six common causes of concrete cancer are poor waterproofing, formation of saltwater chlorides in buildings near the sea, construction defects, weather, poor quality concrete and insufficient concrete cover, and ground movement under construction that causes cracking. If chloride pollution is the problem in buildings near the ocean, you may need specialized repair work to treat concrete cancer. This solution consists of removing the concrete around the reinforcing bars and cleaning the steel, before applying both the steel primer and a polymer-modified material.
Before you start, you'll need to understand what specific cancer is, what you can do about it, the importance of getting expert help, and how you can prevent it from happening again. Over time, this damage increases, eventually leading to rust spreading deeper into the substrate and attacking structural reinforcement in the concrete at the bottom and adjacent to these areas. Flat concrete roofs are particularly vulnerable to leaks and water-driven concrete cancer if not properly waterproofed. While chipped concrete looks terrible, it can also be dangerous, as concrete pieces can fall and hit people underneath.
Concrete cancer is the name given to concrete deterioration when the metal inside is exposed to air and water. You don't want to agree to buy a home that hasn't yet been discovered concrete cancer, just to have the problem come up in the honeymoon stage of your purchase. When it comes to your concrete building or structure, you should constantly maintain it with waterproofing coatings and inspect it regularly for imperfections. Repairing severely damaged concrete can cost thousands of dollars, so it may not be cost-effective compared to replacing it.
Cracking accelerates the concrete cancer process by exposing more steel, significantly weakening the building. Repair and rectify all areas of specific cancer as detailed in the “Site-Specific Scope of Work (SSW)” compiled after a site visit. Fracture in concrete leading edges, ceilings, beams, and columns is most commonly due to the onset and development of concrete cancer. Plastering the concrete is not enough to hide the oxidized steel, as the oxidation process will continue underneath, causing further displacement of the concrete and possibly requiring replacement of the reinforcing steel entirely.
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