The Parksluizen pumping station and the adjoining attendant's house date from 1968. The pumping engine is to carry off the surplus of water from the ring canal of the DelAand polders into the river Meuse.
The station is fully made of fairfaced concrete, producing a rather characteristic texture through the
The round volume of the engine hall before restoration shOWing extensive patch repair. Photo: K. van der Zanden.
board marks of various sizes all over the face of the building.
Because of the construction method and this surface texture, the concrete covering on the reinforcement was insufficient to protect the steel. At some places, the covering was only 6 mm, causing corrosion of the rebars and, as a result, extensive spalling of concrete.
The engine hall after restoration. Photo: H. Hinterthur.
r;h~Jo.mo.mo_ 95 The Fair Face of Concrete
Durable remedy
Until January 1993 regular repairs were done with epoxy based products. A drawback of this method was that the facades soon looked like a patch work.
The yellow tone of the repairs did not match the original colour, and the result was not very elegant.
Also, the real problem was not solved since the disease was not cured but only concealed. After some time, the disease did reappear at the surface again somewhere else. In February 1994 the Construction Department of our office started a survey to see how the concrete envelope of the building could be renovated so as to reduce annual maintenance to a minimum. We solicited advice from FOSROC and Bouwcentrum Consultancy, and both proposed almost the same treatment:
• To blast the facades.
• To break out bad parts.
• To treat the exposed rebar.
• To repair the broken out areas (Bouwcentrum proposed a cement based mortar modified with synthetic resin, while FOSROC proposed a cement based product).
• To coat the full surface (Bouwcentrum proposed a paint coat of either poly-siloxan or an acrylic paint, while FOSROC proposed a thick silan-siloxan primer, plus a methyl-acrylatic topcoat that could be produced in most colours or the RAL-range).
Fickle appearance
The two proposals were presented on site to officers of the city's Review Committee for architecture and historic buildings ('Commissie voor Welstand en Monumenten') and a month later to some committee members themselves. Shortly afterwards, the
committee wrote us they disapproved with the repa;,.
works as done so far. Although they realized that the treatment did comply with our technical demands, it did not meet restoration standards. In particular the colour and the texture of the repair mortar were to be taken into account. Still, the committee admitted that the building would never become 'spotless'. But they did not favour that either. Quoting from their letter we read: 'The "aged" and fickle appearance of the building is exactly what lends it its character. This character of the building is due to the special texture of the facade surfaces: the direction and relief of the poured concrete and the resulting range of textures are unique. They define the identity of the building'. The committee underlined that the actual texture had to be preserved and carefully repaired. An even rendering, repair with shotcrete, and the application of a coloured coating were strongly advised against.
To us it seemed as if the construction failures of 1968 were now regarded as part
of
the architectural characterof
the building. Concentrations of coarse aggregates were to be respected and day joints had to remain visible. In our view, the Review Committee took the issue in a very aesthetic way, largelyneglecting the very real problem of carbonation and the need for structural repair.
Invisible coatings
FOSROC's initial proposal could fully meet the committee's demands with just a few modifications, and we took thct as a starting point. Their repair mortar could be slightly toned so as to conceal the marks between existing material and repairs. Through working on the Freshly applied mortar, the existing texture left by the wooden boards could be reprofiled and even the uneven concentration of coarse
aggregates night be remade by adding some pebbles every now and then. The full surface was then to be finished with a colourless coat Dekguard Topcoat Transparent. Again we consulted the committee officers about FOSROC's reworked proposal but their concern remained that the original texture would be lost. The proposed repair mortar had a grain of
1
mm aggregates, which was considered too fine to match the existing texture.Moreover, they disapproved the proposed coating
system. Despite the producer's specifications for the surface as matt, the officers considered the result still too brilliant. The proposed alternative, an
'anti-graffiti' coating which is supposed to be completely invisible, appeared from the specs not to solve the carbonation problems.
Committee officers decided to explore other solutions
cio.(c,mo.mo_ 96 The Fair Face of Concrete
with the Dutch agent for the German Keim products, and Sigma. Neither could provide a fully transparent coating because a minimum of 20% pigments always remains - which can be an advantage since they might hide older repairs quite well. The mineral products like Keim were rejected altogether because they allow carbondioxide through the coat and do not stop carbonation. Despite the slight colouring, the officers were positive about the Sigma products. The principle of an invisible coating seemed thereby to be abandoned, and also Sigma was invited to propose a remedial program.
Our office decided to invite a third proposal from the Dutch branch of Sika, with which we had very good experiences. Their range include a colourless coating that prevents carbonation progress. All three suppliers submitted a comprehensive proposal in terms of quality and costs. A careful evaluation learned that the quality, the guarantees and the costs of all three were roughly the same, so we asked them to put up samples on site, which. they accepted to do.
Three samples
In July 1995, almost fifteen months after our first contacts, committee officers came again to see the
Test repairs by Sigma (left), Sika (middle) and FOSROC [right) fully transparent coating. Frankly speaking, also my office and the invited firms themselves were not pleased with the samples. The story therefore continued, and the firms were offered a final chance to meet to the demands. This time, they were less enthusiastic in offering their help again.
At last, the Review Committee was satisfied with FOSROC's transparent coating, but did not approve the colour of their repair mortar. FOSROC then produced about 15 sample grouts in their labs by experimenting with various colouring additives and the company remained positive to produce the right colour still with a full technical guarantee.
Sika, on the other hand, decided not to tone their
repair mortar because the authentic material on the building showed already much variety in colour.
They decided that the basic colour of their mortar should do the job, in combination with a coating.
Upon demand, the coating still could be pigmented -before and after treatment. Sika put up a new sample using Monotop 620, that was slightly blasted after curing, and then coated.
Sigma did not want to water down their initial proposal to level the texture with a render, that would produce an even surface. The firm considered it useless to apply an anti-carbonation agent only here and there instead of a full treatment. Their point was, that damage would re-occur on other locations in such a case. Although they were able to match the colour of the mortar and to provide an acceptable coating, they insisted a full rendering was essential to arrest carbonation. The Review Committee could not accept this proposal because the fair face of the concrete would be fully lost. In the end, Sigma decided to propose another levelling render still suitable for patch repair, covered by a colourless coat.
All in all, the three firms met the demands made by my office. Apart from the brilliance and the
carbonation-arresting effect, also the permeability was important due to the humid conditions both inside and outside the building. They all offered solutions with a breathing, anti-carbonation treatment, that came up to all regulations and very closely. The ratio of this mixture was determined in the FOSROC laboratories.
Final compromise
However, the natural variety in colour of the original concrete was so wide that it appeared unfeasible to make the exactly right colour for each patch. This was impossible both technically and financially. For this reason some patches are still visible, while others are almost invisible.
The transparent topcoat Dekguard Topcoat
Transparent S was especially imported from Britain.
The Dutch version of this product is slightly more still arrange a contract procedure in concurrence, despite the supplier and the repair method being specified.
To get the job properly done, it was necessary to develop a repair strategy in close cooperotion
dQ'<:"',mo.mo_ 97 The Fair Face of Concrete
At most locations the repairs match perfectly with the existing material. Almost one-third of the concrete next to the doorpost is renewed invisibly. Photo K. van der Zanden.
At other locations the substrate appeared different from the sample areas, resulting in a contrast with the repair mortar.
Photo: W. de Jonge. See also colour section.
between supplier and applier. In doing so, the guarantees for both the products and the application would be secured. Also, the strict demands by the Review Committee could be more effectively countered if all parties were informed accordingly.
The most economic offer was a fixed price for the complete job of Dfl.
300,000.-
(V.A.T. included).The job was done between May and July 1996, with FOSROC products as specified.
It is obvious that the interest
of
a Review Committee might differ from the interest of a client. This case study illustrates that we, as a client, were willing to make more than one effort to meet their demands, although not at all costs. A main problem for my office has been that the preparation period for -what seemed- a simple job extended to over two years.Still, with the applied repair system we managed to find a compromise between the technical and economical demands of the Construction Department of my office, and the aesthetical demands of the Review Committee, without disregarding quality standards ir any respect.
Koos van der Zanden is with the Constructior Department of the Hoogheemraadschap water authorities of Delfland, the Netherlands. As a building manager he has been in charge of the concrete renovQJ'ion of the Parksluizen pumping station.
Text
translated from the Dutch by the editor.do.t:o,mo.mo_ 98 The Fair Face of Concrete
Previous patch repair of exposed concrete at Parksluizen pumping station involved materials that were unsympathetic to the original material regarding colour and texture (top, left). Three repair contractors were invited to produce trial repairs that were then evaluated by the municipal Review Committee for architecture and historic buildings; left to right Sigma, Sika and FOSROC (bottom, left).
At most locations the new repairs match perfectly with the adjacent original material (top, right). The original concrete showed a natural variety in colour shades. The repair mortar was carefully designed to match the trial area but did not always meet the original colour on other locations. The finishing FOSROC Dekguard Topcoat Transparent S is virtually unobtrusive (bottom, right).
Photos: K. van der Zanden and W. de Jonge.
The Fair Face of Concrefe