Preventing further corrosion in

repaired concrete
Zinc-rich epoxy resin protects rebar in the repair
zone and in surrounding concrete

Workers use a three-stage method to

repair corrosion-damaged concrete. A
zinc-rich epoxy primer protects the
steel, followed by a cementitious repair
mortar and a penetrating sealer.

sacrificial coating for rebar

A may be the solution for a

perplexing concrete repair
p ro b l e m — re c u r rence of
corrosion after the repair is made.
There’s no practical method for re-
moving chloride ions from contam-
inated concrete. And it isn’t practi-
cal to chip out and replace the
contaminated concrete. So the con-
ditions that originally caused corro-
sion are often present after repair.
Unless preventive steps are taken, a
building owner may buy only a few
years before repairs are needed
again.
Approaches to corrosion
prevention
Some repair contractors use a ce-
mentitious repair material and de-
pend on this highly alkaline materi-
al to protect the steel. Or they may
prime the rebar with a cement mor-
tar slurry before applying the repair
material. These approaches protect
steel in the repair zone but may ac-
celerate corrosion of steel in the sur-
rounding concrete.
Other contractors first prime or
coat the steel with a polymer-modi-
fied cement slurry or an epoxy
primer used to bond repair materi-
al to the old concrete. But this sys-
tem isolates the rebar from the
highly alkaline concrete. The coat-
ing may be undercut as corrosion
creeps under the primer from an
uncoated area.
Another method is to use a zinc-
rich epoxy resin for coating rebars
before completing the repair. The
zinc coating allows electrical con-
tact between the bar and the active
zinc. Zinc then acts as a sacrificial
anode, protecting the steel.
L a b o ra t o ry corrosion studies of
primed and unprimed rebars have
confirmed the effects described.
Bars surrounded by alkaline repair
materials began corroding outside
the repair zone, while epox y- re s i n -
primed bars showed signs of under-
cutting corrosion within the repair
zone. The zinc-rich primer, though,
protected rebar in the repair zone
and surrounding concrete.
Repair procedure
To use this repair method, remove
all the cracked anƒd spalled con-
crete, making sure to expose the full
c i rc u m f e rence of all bars. Then
clean the exposed bars to remove
corrosion deposits. The surface
doesn’t have to be shiny and rust
f re e, but all scale and loose rust
should be removed.
Wire brushing isn’t an effective
method of cleaning steel because it
tends to polish the surface rather
than remove heavy deposits. Blast-
ing the surface with sand or grit

Grit blasting removes scale and loose
rust from rebar before it’s coated.
does a better job (see photo). An an-
gle grinder can also be used.
Use a brush to apply the zinc-rich
epoxy primer to the exposed steel
(see photo). The protective value of
the coating is proportional to its
thickness. A thicker coating con-
tains more consumable zinc and
thus lasts longer than a thin coating.
Apply it at least 5 1⁄2 mils thick. Let
Zinc-rich primer is brushed on and
allowed to dry before repair mortar is
applied.
the primed surface dry before ap-
plying the concrete repair mortar.
Drying can take up to 4 hours de-
pending on drying conditions.
Dampen the concrete substrate
with water and prime it with a ce-
mentitious slurry. Scrub the slurry
into the substrate with a mason’s
brush and apply the repair mortar
before the slurry dries. Using a ce-
mentitious repair mortar is recom-
mended for two reasons:
■ The alkaline environment
protects steel from corrosion
after the zinc has been
consumed.
■ The thermal coefficient of
expansion is close to that of
the surrounding concrete,
minimizing thermal
incompatibility problems.
As a final step, apply a penetrating
breathable sealer that will keep out
water and chlorides.
The method has been successful-
ly used for horizontal, vertical, and
overhead repairs of corrosion-dam-
aged concrete.
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