Concrete Surface Engineering

The objective of the book is to provide better basic knowledge about concrete surface properties with regard to repair operations.

When Long et al. (2001) were asking “Why assess the properties of near-to-surface concrete?,” they were referring to bond development, one of the most important research topics in the field of concrete repairs. Adjoining any material to an existing concrete surface intrinsically involves this interfacial issue. Surface engineering is an area of knowledge addressing all surface-related considerations, notably those pertaining to adhesion. It provides a fundamental understanding of what will make the contact effective or not, allowing for interactions of variable intensity between the materials. A variety of suitable scientific tools is available to characterize properties of layer, quality of substrate and adhesion of overlay to substrate. Many of the basics of surface engineering, which has long developed into a discipline in metallurgy, can in fact apply to the repair and surface treatment of concrete, with the main objective of achieving a desired durability. A fundamental approach is presented in this book and explained in connection with a variety of typical concrete repairs and surface treatments.

This book is intended to become a leading-edge resource for practicing engineers, architects, repair specialists as well as researchers looking for:
• scientific fundamental knowledge needed to understand how a concrete surface may act on adhesion of a variety of systems;
• methods and techniques for analysing concrete surface characteristics;
• rational means to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of the various surface preparation techniques;
• recommendations to ensure satisfactory adherence of repair materials, coatings or injection products to concrete;
• guidelines for selecting well adapted repair material and techniques.

The authors’ expertise in the field of repair and maintenance of concrete is recognized internationally. They have been involved for many years in the work of related Rilem and ACI workgroups. This book is in fact the result of more than 15 years of collaborative research.