In order to properly extend service life, a good repair strategy must account for the workings of corrosion, a natural process that is too often the culprit of concrete deterioration. Contractors and engineers must not only consider the possibility of recurring corrosion, but also the danger of corrosion spreading to adjacent concrete through the insidious ring anode effect. Cortec’s MCI HPRS (High Performance Repair System) addresses these very problems and now includes MCI-2044 Self-Consolidating Concrete Mix for greater repair flexibility.
The power of MCI-2044 is its Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors, which work their way through concrete to form a protective molecular layer on embedded rebar. The MCI molecules delay corrosion and reduce corrosion rates once started, helping the concrete patch last longer. Using MCI-2044 in a concrete repair also helps protect against the ring anode effect. This halo effect takes place when the high pH of new concrete creates a difference in corrosion potential between patch materials and old concrete, inadvertently causing corrosion to spread to and accelerate in adjacent areas. MCI-2044 helps even out the corrosion potential to reduce the risk of ring anode problems and make the repair more durable.
In addition to making repairs more durable, MCI-2044 offers contractors greater flexibility and versatility when implementing the MCI HPRS. In the past, Cortec was only able to offer MCI enhanced repair mortars for vertical and overhead use. With MCI-2044, contractors now have an MCI enhanced concrete mix for use in form and pour applications. MCI-2044 is self-leveling and self-consolidating with a slump/flow of 24-30 inches (61-76 cm). As a single component mix containing factory blended coarse aggregate, it is convenient to use and eliminates the need for extending material in the field. As a further side benefit, there are no chlorides, magnesium phosphates, or calcium nitrites included in the mix.
MCI-2044 can be used in any form and pour repair applications from 1-8 in. (25-200 mm) deep, including horizontal, vertical, and overhead applications. It is ideal for full-depth and large volume repairs in practically any concrete structures:
- Parking garages
- Bridges
- Industrial, residential, and commercial buildings
Concrete repairs are constantly needed around the world, especially in areas of harsh marine or winter environments. Given the counterproductive danger of the ring anode effect to simply shift corrosion elsewhere, it is important to build corrosion protection directly into the repair. With MCI-2044, contractors and engineers now have a self-consolidating concrete mix to enhance the durability of their form and pour applications.
