Contact person
Per Martinell
Utredare
Contact Per
Inspection of garages and car parks
For several decades, RISE concrete assessors have inspected garages and car parks because they usually receive concrete damages. Most often, the damages are caused by chlorides from thawing salt, which is taken in with the cars during winter time. The chlorides penetrate the concrete and eventually cause the reinforcement to rust.
Causes of concrete damages
Initially, the reinforcement in the concrete is well protected against corrosion by the surrounding concrete's high pH value. Corrosion protection is broken if the chloride ion content, Cl-, in the concrete exceeds the concrete's so-called chloride threshold value.
The corrosion protection in the concrete can also be broken by carbonation. Carbonation is caused by carbon dioxide from the air penetrating the concrete and forming calcium carbonate, which lowers the pH value of the concrete, with the result that the concrete loses its original anti-corrosion properties.
When the reinforcement corrodes, so-called rust blasting occurs because the corrosion products (= rust) have a much larger volume than the original steel and the concrete layer over the reinforcement thus cracks and gradually splits loose.
In unheated garages and car parks, frost damage can also occur in the concrete.
Method
RISE's surveys of garages and car parks usually consist of visual inspection, damage mapping, measurements of covering concrete layers and carbonation depth, as well as chloride sampling.
Delivery
RISE inspections are usually compiled in verified reports, which usually include condition assessments and proposed measures.
