Total Concrete Remediation

Structural Concrete Repair Including Concrete Cancer Repair

Concrete remediation is performed to structures requiring either aesthetic or structural concrete repair. It is a cost-effective solution for unforeseen cracked, damaged, or incorrectly formed concrete elements. Work is completed in consultation with site engineering to ensure the structural integrity of the repaired item without causing delays to the project or risk to further destabilise the environment or structure. Portolesi Structural specialise in large-scale structural concrete remedial services as well as architectural repairs and concrete patching.

Concrete Cancer

Concrete cancer is caused when the steel reinforcing within concrete begins to rust. As the steel rusts it expands to many times its original size causing the concrete to be displaced, crack, spall and/or flake away. As the steel pushes the concrete away, more water gets to the steel speeding up the process. Concrete spalling is another name for concrete cancer and is characterised by cracking and flaking concrete that may break away exposing steel rebar to the elements.

What to look out for to diagnose concrete cancer:

Flaking and/or cracking concrete

Leaking type rust stains emanating from within the concrete

Visual bubbling of concrete render

A hollow sound behind concrete render

Leaks which may appear in a roof or internal walls

Not treating concrete cancer can cause significant issues for the future such as; significant structural issues, trip hazards, flaking concrete falling from height onto people or property and un-realised property damage potential to name a few. Concrete repairs should be sought immediately to eliminate increased problems into the future.

Portolesi Structural offer a wide range of concrete restoration or concrete remediation solutions, reinstating the façade to original condition while treating the underlying issues to eliminate re-occurrence.

Sprayed Repair Mortars

In situations where volume, speed and other considerations such as overhead application is a factor spraying the repair mortar is the preferred process. Spraying involves either ‘wet (pre-mixed) or dry (water added at the nozzle)’ and covers a range of materials of various strengths and purposes. Portolesi have a range of spray application pumps suited to any job.

SPRAY PUMP FLEET:

Jaycon Concrete Pump

Bunker 3-Phase Pump

Reed Lova Dry Spray Compressed Air Pump

G4 3-Phase Pump

Wagner PC 25 Electric Pumps

Putzmeister Electric Pumps

The benefits of spray application method over traditional methods are as follows:

Higher levels of compaction

Ease of application

Greater bonding to substrate

Faster application and greater volumes.

When used with an epoxy binder achieves high bond chemical and mechanical adhesion.

Trowel-able for aesthetic considerations

Captive Blasting, Scabbling/Scarifying and Grinding

Concrete slabs are elements on a building often neglected but regularly requiring rehabilitation, re-profiling, or topping. Portolesi have the capacity, skill and plant to carry out any need likely to arise whether that be localised repair at expansion joints or wholesale replacement of slabs.

CONCRETE SLAB REMEDIATION PLANT FLEET:

Jaycon Concrete Pump

Blastrak Captive Blaster

Levina Floor Grinders (3-Phase)

Petrol Scabblers

Epoxy Crack Injection

Cracking can occur in concrete for many reasons. Often general wear and tear over the life of a slab or wall can produce cracking, however there are also situations where faulty installation, thermal and structural movement, excessive shrinkage, early stage reinforcement corrosion and structural loading can cause cracking. In all cases if this cracking isn’t repaired over time it will cause further degradation to the element. Early assessment and treatment are prudent in retaining the integrity of an asset. At Portolesi we’ve developed several processes including bespoke project specific epoxy delivery systems to help return concrete back to its intended integrity. The most common methods are low pressure drill pump via an injection port fixed into the slab and crossing through the crack just below the slab surface, or the balloon injection method where balloon ‘feeders’ are adhered to the surface over the crack, then inflated with resin epoxy and injected into the crack as the balloon deflates. Other methods developed include polyurea adhered applications, and ‘V’ notch gravity fed crack filling to horizontal surface cracks.

Products specialised in but not limited to include the following:

Renderoc Range – HB25, HB40, HB70, Deep Pour.

Renderoc HB40 is used for its highly consistent, medium-weight, very low shrinkage repair mortar. Renderoc has long held the reputation as the industry standard for concrete remediation products and is still the most commonly specified product on the market. In situations where forming and pouring is the preferred method the highly advanced technology of Renderoc Deep Pour is a standout for its versatility, performance and ease of application.

BASF MasterEmaco Range – 5100CI, 5200CI, 5300CI, 5400CI

The Master Emaco range is used for its medium to high strength, fast setting repair and reprofiling mortar with high bond strengths and densities. BASF repair mortars also have the additional benefit of built in cathodic protection giving greater assurance of reo protection and asset longevity post remediation works.

Epoxy Binders - Fosroc Nitomortar, Megapoxy H, Aftek Binder, MasterEmaco 2525

The use of epoxy binders is to produce epoxy mortars of various consistencies for higher and early strength repairs. Further, epoxy binders can also be used as an active chemical binder for increased adhesion when applying cement-based repair mortars.

Epoxy Injection Resins - Fosroc LV, Megapoxy HX

These resins can be used with either the drill pump injection process, low pressure balloon injection or gravity fed delivery.

Aftek Tuff Top

Aftek Tuff Top is a specially formulated floor levelling compound used to ensure a smooth flat surface is achieved. Further, Tuff Top unlike many other similar products is both UV stable and highly trafficable when applied correctly can handle significant dynamic loading.