CIGMAT Report: Center Studies Concrete Coatings And Repair Methods For Corroded Steel Piles

By C. Vipulanadan, PhD, P.E., professor and director of Center for Innovative Grouting Materials and Technology (CIGMAT) and Texas Hurricane Center for Innovative Technology (THC-IT), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston | October 2012, Vol. 67 No. 10

Figure 7: Comparison of FE model prediction of weight change with the experimental data for Silane-1coated concrete immersed in water

Conclusions
Applicability of two commercially available silanes (Silane-1 and Silane-2) in combination with a latex based coating (Coating-1) in resisting absorption of water and 15% NaCl solution was investigated. The following conclusions are advanced:

1. The test method (21 days of immersion followed by 21 days of drying) was effective in identifying the differences in performance of the composite coating.
2. Finite element modeling of the weight change phenomenon of a coated concrete cylinder revealed that the initial rate of weight gain was governed by the quality of the coating material (diffusion parameter); however, the total amount of weight gain was governed by the quality of concrete behind the coating.