CP- A balcony's best friend

The Florida coast is a particularly harsh environment for concrete structures, combining heat, humidity and high concentrations of chloride. Concrete balconies in the region are especially susceptible to corrosion of reinforcing steel, requiring major repair and maintenance.

Condo owners recognize that repeating patch maintenance cycles are disruptive and increasingly expensive. However, property managers don't always implement methods for corrosion prevention out of ignorance or because of the cost.

But, applying cathodic protection (CP) can lengthen the lifecycle of the reinforcing steel and concrete, delaying the need for maintenance. CP is a viable long term solution to protect these vulnerable concrete structures, but applying CP to condominium balconies is not easy. The evolution of cathodic protection, as applied to concrete balconies in Florida, has been an evolutionary process. Many systems have been tried with varying degrees of technical and commercial success. In ture Darwinian fashion, some of the solutions took the path to extinction, others evolved and have flourished, and some technologies moved to other, more favorable applications.

Many structural engineers now recognize the benefits of cathodic protection (CP) to stop the corrosion process and how to apply the right system in a given environment. This long-term solution extends the life of these important concrete structures and protects residents who own condos with balconies.

I just hope condo owners and property managers do their due diligence to find out what available technologies will keep residents safe.


Bill

Making sense of concrete corrosion

Why do things break? It's a question my grandchildren ask when their favorite toys fall to pieces.

The engineer in me gives an answer young minds might understand. Weak materials. Wear and time. Excessive force or mass. (Well, maybe not excessive force or mass.)

But when I have to explain a break or crack in a major building's balcony or facade to condo owners, they don't face the facts as easily. I encounter this often as a concrete-in-steel expert -- and I wish I didn't, because that means building owners and contractors aren't doing things the right way. Reinforcing steel corrosion should be suspected with Cathodic Protection cure methods used for over 30 years.

This is especially true in coastal areas. I just appeared on Local 6 in Orlando, where buildings suffer constant hurricane damage, and are impacted daily by salt-infused air. You can view the segment here.

This combination creates the 'perfect storm' for corrosion risk. My recommendation: Buildings 10 years old or more should be examined by engineers.

It happens closer to home, too. The Crab House Eatery in Cape May County, N.J., collapsed this week, injuring nine people. Fortunately, nobody died, but does it have to come to that before action is taken?

We haven't heard yet what weakened the bulkhead supporting the pier. Still, cracking, degradation, and wearing in concrete doesn’t happen overnight, so the structure was likely corroding for many years.

That's why we're in constant conversation with customers who own marine properties, and are committed to keeping concrete structures sound. We who understand the science greatly prefer planning and preventing tragedy to making sense of a collapse.

The good news: The right technology and expertise can achieve safety. And that's a concept even a child understands.