ICDS12

International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation

LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

DS

Application of water vapour tight coatings on

early age (green) concrete
Ola Skjlsvold, SINTEF
Eva Rodum, Norwegian Public Roads Administration

IC

NORWAY

DURABLE STRUCTURES

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

LNE
C

Application of water vapour tights coating

Coatings are usually applicated some time after casting

Early application is very beneficial for protection against e.g
chloride ingress and other environmental attacks

ICDS12
International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation
LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

Application on green concrete

The procedure is disputed due to the risk for unsatisfactory

bond to the concrete

DS

The advantages are many

IC

Improved curing of the concrete

Protection from day one
Reduced cost because the rig is intact

DURABLE STRUCTURES

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

LNE
C

Concrete construction project

Slip forming of thick walls, concrete C60,75 - w/(c+2s) = 0.40

Extreme requirements to protection against vapour
Steel lining or epoxy coating?

Coating requirements

Continous application of coating below the formwork was

desired (on green concrete)
Maximum one primer layer and one membrane layer
Bond strength > 1.5 MPa
Water vapour diffusion < 0.1 kg/m2 and year

ICDS12
International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation
LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

Laboratory test programme

IC

DS

Test specimens: 1 m3 reinforced cubes (3 cubes)

Heating cables in the middle of the cube for establishing a
temperature gradient
15 thermocouples for temperature monitoring
2 coating systems (only Sika and Mapei accepted the project
criteria)
Application after 24 hours (at peak temperature) and 7 days
(temperature gradient 0)
Different heating regimes and temperature gradients
Bond strength measurements (pull-off test)

DURABLE STRUCTURES

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

LNE
C

Reinforcement frame being hoist into the formwork

ICDS12
International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation
LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

IC

DS

Stripping of formwork for test cube

DURABLE STRUCTURES

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

LNE
C

Coating system applied

Mapei; Mapecoat L-L (primer) and Mapecoat CFS

Sika; Sikafloor 156 (primer) and Icosit Elastomastic TF
Water vapour transmission rate, kg/(m2*year):
Coating
Sika

Mapei

Coating
thickness
1 mm
3 mm
1 mm
3 mm

Average
value
1.16
0.92
0.41
0.21

Std.dev
0.23
0.08
0.07
0.01

EN 1062-1: V3 - low permeability < 5.5 kg/(m2*year)

ICDS12
International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation
LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

Temperature regimes (centre to surface gradients)

DS

Cube 1 and 3,
- temperature gradient = 15C for 4 weeks,
- thereafter cables on full effect for 4 weeks

IC

Cube 2,
- temperature gradient = 30C for 4 weeks
- thereafter the cables on full effect for 4 weeks

DURABLE STRUCTURES

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

LNE
C

Thermocouples location

ICDS12
International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation
LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

IC

DS

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

LNE
C

Bond strength testing for coating applied at peak temperature

(24 hours after casting)
Tensile bond strength (MPa), mean values of 5 specimens
Cube 1

Cube 2

Test number

Mapei

Sika

Mapei

Sika

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5

3.6
3.8
3.7
4.0
4.5

4.7
4.2
4.8
4.6
4.9

2.7
2.6
3.4
4.0
3.2

3.8
3.4
4.3
4.7
4.7

Test 1: 1 week after application

Test 2: immediately after achieving the prescribed temperature gradient
Test 3: 1 week after achieving the prescribed temperature gradient
Test 4: 4 weeks after achieving the prescribed temperature gradient
Test 5: 4 weeks after turning the heating cables on full effect

ICDS12
International Conference DURABLE STRUCTURES: from construction to rehabilitation
LNEC Lisbon Portugal 31 May - 1 June 2012

DURABLE STRUCTURES

12

LNEC Lisbon 31 May - 1June 2012

Conclusions

Application on green concrete will, in many cases, be much easier than later
application.

The latter is the standard regime for concrete protection, and application of
coatings on green concrete is disputed.

Early application will also bring advantages related to the curing conditions for
the concrete, preventing loss of water and ingress of aggressives during the
curing period.

The test results from this investigation show that tight membranes can be
applied directly after stripping of the concrete surface with very satisfactory
bond between coating and concrete.

Steel lining, and not membrane coating, was chosen as the membranes did not
satisfy the project requirement to tightness (> 0.1 kg/m2 and year)

LNE
C

IC

DS