Targeted concrete refurbishment with high-pressure water.

The steel reinforcement is neither cut nor damaged – due to the selectivity of the water force. This also has a positive effect when removing low-strength layers, since weak points such as local cracks are automatically washed out during the treatment.

Reinforced concrete is a particular problem as the steel reinforcement corrodes with time. The primary cause here is the carbonation of the concrete, a chemical reaction in which the effect of water and air lowers the pH of the concrete to 10 or less. This loss of the protecting alkali surrounding makes reinforcement corrosion possible, causing serious damage to the reinforced concrete. If this process can be seen from cracks or spalling of the concrete, renovation is unavoidable for conserving the static load capability of the structure. In this, the steel reinforcement in the area affected is exposed so that targeted restoration of the corrosion protection can be made.

Primary aim of any concrete renovation is to remove the damaged areas without damaging the surrounding material or steel reinforcement. In contrast to a pneumatic hammer, whose force application goes deep into the joint and is transferred far into the building, the PINFL high-pressure water jets are very local and targeted on the position to be treated. This means that hardly any structure-borne sound is transferred to the construction and the formation of stress cracks is avoided.