concrete columns - spalling?
#1
07-10-14, 05:56 PM
concrete columns - spalling?
We have some concrete columns supporting a concrete balcony - they've been standing for more than 40 years.
It's reinforced concrete with rods in the vertical columns and also attached horizontally to the balcony. There's one column that has a big crack and I was able to pull off some of the concrete - is this dangerous?
It may be water damage as the previous owner left a crack in the concrete in the balcony unsealed for 5 years draining into the shed below where this particular column is.
It's reinforced concrete with rods in the vertical columns and also attached horizontally to the balcony. There's one column that has a big crack and I was able to pull off some of the concrete - is this dangerous?
It may be water damage as the previous owner left a crack in the concrete in the balcony unsealed for 5 years draining into the shed below where this particular column is.
#2
07-10-14, 10:42 PM
Member
It's only dangerous if nothing is done about it, allowing the rebar to corrode to the point of substantial section loss and complete spalling away of adjacent concrete.
You should either have a concrete repair person evaluate the degree of deterioration in all of the columns, or do it yourself. And then proceed with a repair plan.
After the source of water from above is eliminated, of course.
You should either have a concrete repair person evaluate the degree of deterioration in all of the columns, or do it yourself. And then proceed with a repair plan.
After the source of water from above is eliminated, of course.
#3
07-13-14, 04:15 AM
believe it or not, water is the most common destructive force for conc,,, there's a good reason conc is sealed against wtr intrusion, too, as you've discovered,,, while epoxy coated rebar is now spec'd, it probably wasn't when the columns were cast in place.
we have the same issue at our place on hilton head - 40yr old cast-in-place conc w/reg rebar,,, we annually contract to chip out spalled conc from rusting rebar, clean/replace rebar as rqd, & patch back w/polymer-modified vert/overhead bagg'd mix,,, just something 1 must do to maintain things
its not difficult or brain-challenging work - just dusty & labor-intensive
we have the same issue at our place on hilton head - 40yr old cast-in-place conc w/reg rebar,,, we annually contract to chip out spalled conc from rusting rebar, clean/replace rebar as rqd, & patch back w/polymer-modified vert/overhead bagg'd mix,,, just something 1 must do to maintain things
its not difficult or brain-challenging work - just dusty & labor-intensive
