How to Repair Overhead Spalling Concrete

Spalling concrete is quite a common issue in concrete repairs. Poor concrete installation, corrosion of the reinforcement bars, freeze-thaw weathering, de-icing, temperature fluctuations – all these factors may cause concrete spalling. If left unattended, damaged concrete might compromise the integrity of the entire concrete structure. It might lead to further water ingress, deeper spalling, concrete crumbling, exposure to reinforcement bars, structural disintegration. Additionally, spalling concrete might pose a serious safety hazard to the general public as well as to the physical property. Especially, if the spalling parts are located overhead, for example, edges of balconies, parapet walls, entrances, archways and bridges. To prevent accidents and to reduce safety hazards, spalling concrete requires an immediate attention and response.

In this blog post, we demonstrate an easy-to-apply spalling concrete repair with Belzona 4141. Belzona 4141 is a lightweight epoxy composite designed for the concrete repairs on overhead and masonry structures. Unlike many conventional concrete systems that require a long period of curing (up to 28 days), Belzona 4141 reaches a full mechanical cure within 12 hours and a full chemical cure in 3 days at an optimal temperature of 25C (77F). In addition, the repaired area can be painted over to match the color and texture of the entire structure. In this repair demonstration we used temporary shuttering to create fencing while the product was applied. However, for some applications with Belzona 4141, shuttering is not always needed, which makes the repair easy to carry out.