polymer concrete report
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Application of Polymer Concrete
APPLICATION OF POLYMER MODIFIED CONCRETE
1. INTRODUCTION
Despite being thought of as a modern material, concrete has been in use
for hundreds of years. The word concrete comes from the Latin concretus,
which means “mixed together” or compounded. Concrete is an extremely
popular structural material due to its low cost and easy fabrication.
Concrete is made up of sand or stone, known as aggregate, combined
with cement paste to bind it. Aggregate can be of various sizes. It is
broadly categorized as fine (commonly sand) and coarse (typically crushed
stone or gravel). The greater proportion of concrete is aggregate which is
bulky and relatively cheaper than the cement.
As much of the constituents of concrete come from stone, it is often
thought that concrete has the same qualities and will last forever.
Concrete has been called artificial stone, cast stone, reconstructed stone
and reconstituted stone. However, concrete must be thought of as a
distinct material to stone. It has its own characteristics in terms of
durability, weathering and repair.
Concrete is a relatively durable and robust building material, but it can be
severely weakened by poor manufacture or a very aggressive
environment. A number of historic concrete structures exhibit problems
that are related to their date of origin. These problems can be solved by
application of polymer in concrete construction.
A polymer is a large molecule containing hundreds or thousands of atoms
formed by combining one, two or occasionally more kinds of small
molecule (monomers) into chain or network structures. The main polymer
material used in concrete construction are polymer modified concrete and
polymer concrete.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Polymer modified concrete may be divided into two classes: polymer
impregnated concrete and polymer cement concrete. The first is produced
by impregnation of pre-cast hardened
Portland cement concrete with a monomer that is subsequently converted
to solid polymer. To
produce the second, part of the cement binder of the concrete mix is
replaced by polymer (often in latex form). Both have higher strength,
lower water permeability, better resistance to chemicals, and greater
freeze-thaw stability than conventional concrete.
Polymer concrete (PC), or resin concrete, consists of a polymer binder
which may be a thermoplastic but more frequently is a thermosetting
polymer, and a mineral filler such as aggregate, gravel and crushed stone.
PC has higher strength, greater resistance to chemicals and corrosive
agents, lower water absorption and higher freeze-thaw stability than
conventional Portland cement concrete.
2. AIM
The main aims of this research are to identify and present the application
of polymer in concrete construction
3. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this work are:
i) To study the application of polymer in concrete construction.
ii) To determine the advantage and disadvantage of polymer.
iii) To investigate the problems in the use of the polymer as repair
materials in concrete construction
4. INTRODUCTION TO POLYMERS
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Polymers are a large class of materials consisting of many small molecules
(called monomers) that can be linked together to form long chains, thus
they are known as macromolecules. A typical polymer may include tens of
thousands of monomers. Because of their large size, polymers are
classified as macromolecules. Humans have taken advantage of the
versatility of polymers for centuries in the form of oils, tars, resins, and
gums.
However, it was not until the industrial revolution that the modern polymer
industry began to
develop. In the late 1830s, Charles Goodyear succeeded in producing a
useful form of natural
rubber through a process known as "vulcanization." Some 40 years later,
Celluloid (a hard plastic formed from nitrocellulose) was successfully
commercialized. Despite these advances, progress in polymer science was
slow until the 1930s, when materials such as vinyl, neoprene, polystyrene,
and nylon were developed. The introduction of these revolutionary
materials began an explosion in polymer research that is still going on
today Unmatched in the diversity of their properties, polymers such as
cotton, wool, rubber and all plastics are used in nearly every industry.
Natural and synthetic polymers can be produced with a wide range of
stiffness, strength, heat resistance, density, and even price. With
continued research into the science and applications of polymers, they are
playing an ever increasing role in society
5. POLYMER MODIFIED CONCRETE
Although its physical properties and relatively low cost make it the most
widely used construction material, conventional Portland cement concrete
has a number of limitations, such as low flexural strength, low failure
strain, susceptibility to frost damage and low resistance to chemicals.
These drawbacks are well recognized by the engineer and can usually be
allowed for in most applications. In certain situations, these problems can
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Application of Polymer Concrete
be solved by using materials which contain an organic polymer or resin
(commercial polymer) instead of Portland cement. These relatively new
materials offer the advantages of higher strength, improved durability,
good resistance to corrosion and reduced water permeability.
There are three principal classes of composite materials containing
polymers:
1. Polymer impregnated concrete
2. Polymer cement concrete
3. Polymer concrete.
The distinction between these three classes is important to the design
engineer in the selection of the appropriate material for a given
application.
5.1 Polymer Impregnated Concrete
Polymer impregnated concrete is made by impregnation of pre-cast
hardened Portland cement concrete with low viscosity monomers (in either
liquid or gaseous form) that are converted to solid polymer under the
influence of physical agents (ultraviolet radiation or heat) or chemical
agents (catalysts). It is produced by drying conventional concrete;
displacing the air from the
open pores (by vacuum or monomer displacement and pressure);
saturating the open pore structure by diffusion of low viscosity monomers
or a pre-polymer-monomer mixture (viscosity 10 cps; 1 x 10-2 Pa·s); and in-
situ polymerization of the monomer or pre-polymer-monomer mixture,
using the most economical and convenient method (radiation, heat or
chemical initiation). The important feature of this material is that a large
proportion of the void volume is filled with polymer, which forms a
continuous reinforcing network. The concrete structure may be
impregnated to varying depths or in the surface layer only, depending on
whether increased strength and/or durability is sought. The main
disadvantages of polymer impregnated concrete products are their
relatively high cost, as the monomers used in impregnation are expensive
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Application of Polymer Concrete
and the fabrication process is more complicated than for unmodified
concrete.
Impregnation of concrete results in a remarkable improvement in tensile,
compressive and impact strength, enhanced durability and reduced
permeability to water and aqueous salt solutions such as sulfates and
chlorides. The compressive strength can be increased from 35 MPa to 140
MPa, the water absorption can be reduced significantly. And the freeze-
thaw resistance is considerably enhanced. The greatest strength can be
achieved by impregnation of auto-claved concrete. This material can have
a compressive-strength-to-density ratio nearly three times that of steel.
Although its modulus of elasticity is only moderately greater than that of
non-autoclaved polymer impregnated concrete, the maximum strain at
break is significantly higher.
The monomers most widely used in the impregnation of concrete are, such
as
1. Methyl methacrylate (MMA)
2. Styrene
3. Acrylonitrile
4. T-butyl styrene
5. Vinyl acetate
Acrylic monomer systems such as methyl methacrylate or its mixtures
with acrylonitrile are the preferred impregnating materials, because they
have low viscosity, good wetting properties, high reactivity, relatively low
cost and result in products with superior properties. By using appropriate
bifunctional or polyfunctional monomers (cross-linking agents) in
conjunction with MMA, a cross-linked network is formed within the pores,
resulting in products with greatly increased mechanical strength and
higher thermal and chemical
resistance. Improvement of these properties will depend on the degree of
cross-linking. A cross-linking agent commonly used with vinyl monomers
such as MMA and styrene is trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Thermosetting monomers and pre-polymers are also used to produce
polymer impregnated concrete with greatly increased thermal stability
(i.e. resistance to deterioration by heat). These include epoxy pre-
polymers and unsaturated polyester-styrene. These monomers and pre-
polymers are relatively viscous and, therefore, their use results in reduced
impregnation. Their viscosity can be reduced by mixing them with low-
viscosity monomers such as MMA.
Applications of concrete impregnated in depth in building and construction
include structural floors, high performance structures, food processing
buildings, sewer pipes, storage tanks for seawater, desalination plants and
distilled water plants. Marine structures, wall panels, tunnel liners,
prefabricated tunnel sections and swimming pools. Partially impregnated
concrete is used for the protection of bridges and concrete structures
against deterioration and repair of deteriorated building structures, such
as ceiling slabs, underground garage decks and bridge decks.
Table no: 5.1 General Characteristics and Applications of Polymer-
Modified Concretes
Polymer Impregnated Concrete
General
Characteristics
Consists generally of a pre-cast concrete, which has
been dried then impregnated with a low viscosity
monomer that polymerizes to form a network within
the pores. Impregnation results in markedly improved
strength and durability in comparison with conventional
concrete.
Principal
Applications
Principal applications include use in structural steel
floors, food processing buildings, sewer pipes, storage
tanks for seawater, desalination plants and distilled
water plants, wall panels, tunnel liners and swimming
pools.
Remark Disadvantage: Its relatively high cost, as polymer is
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Application of Polymer Concrete
more expensive than cement and the production
process is more complicated.
5.2 Polymer Cement Concrete
Polymer cement concrete is a modified concrete in which part (10 to 15%
by weight) of the cement binder is replaced by a synthetic organic
polymer. It is produced by incorporating a monomer, pre-polymer-
monomer mixture, or a dispersed polymer (latex) into a cement-concrete
mix. To effect the polymerization of the monomer or pre-polymer-
monomer, a catalyst is added to the mixture. The process technology used
is very similar to that of conventional concrete. Therefore, polymer cement
concrete can be cast-in-place in field applications, whereas polymer
impregnated concrete has to be used as a pre-cast structure.
The monomers that are used are:
1. Polyster-styrene.
2. Epoxy-styrene.
3. Furans.
4. Vinylidene Chloride.
Modification of concrete with a polymer latex (colloidal dispersion of
polymer particles in water) results in greatly improved properties, at a
reasonable cost. Therefore, a great variety of latexes is now available for
use in polymer cement concrete products and mortars. The most common
latexes are based on poly (methyl methacrylate) also called acrylic latex,
poly (vinyl acetate), vinyl chloride copolymers, poly (vinylidene chloride),
(styrene-butadiene) copolymer, nitrile rubber and natural rubber. Each
polymer produces characteristic physical properties. The acrylic latex
provides a very good water-resistant bond between the modifying polymer
and the concrete components, whereas use of latexes of styrene-based
polymers results in a high compressive strength
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Curing of latex polymer cement concrete is different from that of
conventional concrete, because the polymer forms a film on the surface of
the product. Retaining some of the internal moisture needed for
continuous cement hydration. Due to the film-forming feature, moist
curing of the latex product is generally shorter than for conventional
concrete.
Generally, polymer cement concrete made with polymer latex exhibits
excellent bonding to steel reinforcement and to old concrete. Its flexural
strength and toughness are usually higher than those of unmodified
concrete. The modulus of elasticity may or may not be higher than that of
unmodified concrete, depending on the polymer latex used. For example,
the more rubbery polymer. Generally, as the polymer forms a low
modulus phase with the polymer cement concrete, the creep is higher
than that of plain concrete and decreases with the type of polymer latex
used in the following order: polyacrylate; styrene-butadiene copolymer;
polyvinylidene chloride; unmodified cement
The drying shrinkage of polymer cement concrete is generally lower than
that of conventional concrete; the amount of shrinkage depends on the
water-to-cement ratio, cement content, polymer content and curing
conditions. It is more susceptible to higher temperatures than ordinary
cement concrete. For example, creep increases with temperature to a
greater extent than in ordinary cement concrete, whereas flexural
strength, flexural modulus and modulus of elasticity decrease.
The main application of polymer cement concrete is in floor surfacing, as it
is non-dusting and relatively cheap. Because of lower shrinkage, good
resistance to permeation by various liquids such as water and salt
solutions, and good bonding properties to old concrete, it is particularly
suitable for thin (25 mm) floor toppings, concrete bridge deck overlays,
anti-corrosive overlays, concrete repairs and patching
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Recently Russian authors have reported the production of superior
Polymer Cement Concrete by the incorporation of furfurly alcohol and
aniline hydrochloride in wet mix. This material is claimed to be specially
dense and non shrinkage and to have high corrosion resistance, low
permeability and high resistance to vibration and axial extension.
Table no: 5.2 General Characteristics and Applications of
Polymer-Modified Concretes
Polymer cement concrete
General
Characteristics
Products made with thermosetting polymers and
polymer latex have greater mechanical strength,
markedly better resistance to penetration by water and
salt, and greater resistance to freeze-thaw damage than
Portland cement concrete; excellent bonding to steel
reinforcing and to old concrete
Principal
Applications
Major applications are in floors, bridge decks, road
surfacing and compounds for repair of concrete
structures. Latex modified mortar is used for laying
bricks, in prefabricated panels and in stone.
Remark
The mixing and handling are similar to Portland cement
concrete. However, in the production process, air
entrainment occurs without the use of an admixture,
and prolonged moist curing is not required
5.3 Polymer Concrete
Polymer concrete (PC) is a composite material in which the binder consists
entirely of a synthetic organic polymer. It is variously known as synthetic
resin concrete, plastic resin concrete or simply resin concrete. The main
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Application of Polymer Concrete
technique in producing Polymer Concrete is to minimize void volume in the
aggregate so as to reduce the quantity of polymer needed for
binding the aggregate. This is achieved by properly grading and mixing
the aggregate to attain the maximum density and minimum void volume.
The graded aggregate are prepacked and vibrated in a mould. Monomer is
then diffused up through the aggregate and polymerization is initiated by
radiation or chemical means.
An important reason for the development of this material is the advantage
it offers over conventional concrete where the alkaline Portland cement on
curing, forms internal voids.
Water can be entrapped in these voids which on freezing can readily crack
the concrete. Also
the alkaline Portland cement is easily attacked by chemical aggressive
materials which result in rapid deterioration, whereas Polymer can be
compact with minimum voids and are hydrophobic and resistant to
chemical attack. The strength obtained by Polymer Concrete can be as
high as 140 MPa with a short curing period.
5.3.1 Nature and General Properties
Polymer concrete consists of a mineral filler (for example, an aggregate)
and a polymer binder (which may be a thermoplastic, but more frequently,
it is a thermosetting polymer). When sand is used as a filler, the composite
is referred to as a polymer mortar. Other fillers include crushed stone,
gravel, limestone, chalk, condensed silica fume (silica flour, silica dust)
granite, quartz, clay, expanded glass, and metallic fillers. Generally, any
dry, non-absorbent, solid material can be used as a filler.
Polymer concrete composites have generally good resistance to attack by
chemicals and other corrosive agents, have very low water sorption
properties, good resistance to abrasion and marked freeze-thaw stability.
Also, the greater strength of polymer concrete in comparison to that of
Portland cement concrete permits the use of up to 50 percent less
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Application of Polymer Concrete
material. This puts polymer concrete on a competitive basis with cement
concrete in certain special applications. The chemical resistance and
physical properties are generally determined by the nature of the polymer
binder to a greater extent than by the type and the amount of filler. In
turn, the properties of the matrix polymer are highly dependent on time
and the temperature to which it is exposed
The viscoelastic properties of the polymer binder give rise to high creep
values. This is a factor in the restricted use of PC in structural applications.
Its deformation response is highly variable depending on formulation; the
elastic moduli may range from 20 to about 50 GPa, the tensile failure
strain being usually 1%. Shrinkage strains vary with the polymer used
(high for polyester and low for epoxy-based binder) and must be taken
into account in an application.
A wide variety of monomers and pre-polymers are used to produce PC.
The polymers most frequently used are based on four types of monomers
or pre-polymer systems: methyl methacrylate , polyester pre-polymer-
styrene, epoxide pre-polymer hardener and furfuryl alcohol. The typical
range of properties of PC products made with each of these four polymers
is presented in Table no: 5.3 General characteristics and principal
applications are described.
Table no: 5.3 General Characteristics and Principal Applications of
Polymer Concrete
Polymer Concrete
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Application of Polymer Concrete
General
Characteristics
Polymer concrete or resin concrete made using
thermosetting polymer, and a mineral filler such as
aggregate, gravel and crushed stone. PC has higher
strength, greater resistance to chemicals and corrosive
agents, lower water absorption and higher freeze-thaw
stability than conventional Portland cement concrete.
Principal
Applications
Major applications are in floors, bridge decks, road
surfacing, storage tanks for seawater, swimming pools,
surfacing material and compounds for repair of
concrete structures. Polymer concrete mortar is used
for laying bricks, in prefabricated panels and in stone
Remark Uses of Polymer binder over comes the problem of
voids, micro cracks, permeability and cost effective etc.
Thus replaces the conventional concrete.
Table no: 5.4 Typical Range of Properties of Common PC Products
and Portland Cement Concrete
Type of
Binder
Densit
y
(kg/
dm)
Water
Sorptio
n (%)
Compressi
ve
Strength,
(MPa)
Tensile
Strengt
h
(MPa)
Flexura
l
Strengt
h (MPa)
Modulus
of
Elasticity
(GPa)
Poly(methylm
ethacrylate)2.0-2.4
0.05-
0.6070-210 9-11 30-35 35-40
Polyester2.0-2.4
0.30-
1.050-150 8-25 15-45 20-40
Epoxy2.0-2.4
0.02-
1.050-150 8-25 15-45 20-40
Furan
polymer 1.6-1.7 0.02 48-64 7-8 20-40 25-35
Portland 1.9-2.5 5-8 13-35 1.5-3.5 2-8 20-30
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Cement
Concrete
6. PROPERTIES
6.1 Polymer Modified Concrete:
Stress-Strain Relationship
Polymer Impregnated Concrete has a nearly linear stress-strain relation to
failure there is a very little departure from linearity up to 90 percent of
ultimate strength and there is no abrupt change at the proportional limit.
The modulus of elasticity increased from 27 GPa for unimpregnated
specimen to 49 GPa for impregnated specimen.
Compressive strength
Using methylemethacrylate as monomer and with a polymer loading of 6.4
percent, strength of the order of 144 MPa has been obtained using
radiation technique of polymerization. The compressive strength obtained
with thermal catalytic process was 130 MPa.
Tensile Strength
The increase in tensile strength in the case of PIC has been observed to be
as high as 3.9 times that of the control specimen. Impregnated concrete
has shown tensile strength of order 11.6 MPa compare to the strength of
control specimen using rotation process of polymerization. The thermal
catalytically initiated polymerization produced concrete with tensile
strength 3.6 times that of the control specimen.
Polymer latex has given tensile strength of 5.8 MPa compared to the
controlled specimen of 4.4 MPa strength. Polyester resin concrete with
binder content varying from 20 to 25% have shown tensile strength in the
range of 9to 10 Mpa. At 7 days
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Flexural Strength
Polymer impregnated concrete with MMA and polymerised by radiation
have shown flexural strength 3.6 times more than of the controlled
specimen, i.e. the flexural strength was increased to 18.8 MPa from 5.2
MPa.
Polyester resin concrete has been reported to give flexural strength of the
order of 15 MPa at 7 days.
Durability
Freeze Thaw Resistance: Polymer impregnated concrete has shown
excellent resistance to freeze-thaw MMA impregnated and radiation
polymerised specimen have withstood 8110 cycles of freeze-thaw
compared to 740 cycles in case of unimpregnated concrete.
Resistance to sulphate attack: There is 200 % improvement in the
resistance of polymer impregnated concrete and 89% improvement in
case of partially impregnated concrete over conventional concrete.
Acid Resistance: the acid resistance of PIC has been observed to
improve by 1200%.
Water absorption
A maximum reduction of 95% in water absorption has been observed.
Co-efficient of thermal expansion
Polymer impregnated concrete has shown appreciable improvement in
resistance to abrasion. Radiation polymerised concrete has a co-efficient
of thermal expansion of 4.02 X 10-6, radiation polymerised concrete has a
co-efficient of thermal expansion of 5.63 X 10-6 and styrene impregnated
specimens have value of 5.10 X 10-6.
Resistance to abrasion
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Polymer impregnated concrete has shown appreciable improvement in
resistance to abrasion. MMA impregnated concrete has been found to be
50 to 80% more resistance to abrasion.
Wear and Skid Resistance
The treated surface show excellent skid resistance compared to the
unimpregnated surfaces. The wear after 50000 simulated vehicular passes
has been less than 0.025cm.
Fracture of Polymer Impregnated Concrete
Impregnation improves the strength of mortar matrix and the strength of
the paste-aggregate interface by elimination of microcracks. Polymer
probably enters the aggregates also forms a network of polymer fibers
across the interface, thus strengthening.
The typical properties of these polymer-containing concrete are compared
with those of conventional Portland cement concrete in Table. Their
general characteristics and applications are summarized as
Table no: 6.1 Typical Properties of Polymer-Containing Concrete
and Portland Cement Concrete
Material Tensile
Strength
(MPa)
Modulus
Of
Elasticity
(GPa)
Compress
ive
Strength
(MPa)
Shear
Bond
Strength
(KPa)
Water
Absorpti
on
(%)
Acid
Resistan
ce
Polymer
Impregnat
ed
Concrete
11.6 42 144
>4550
0.6 10
Polymer
Cement
Concrete
5.8 14 53 1 4
Polymer 10 40 140 0.5 8
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Application of Polymer Concrete
concrete
Portland
Cement
Concrete
2.5 24.5 35 875 5.5 -
7. APPLICATION OF POLYMER MODIFIED CONCRETE
It is useful in a large number of application, some of which have been
listed and discussed below:
1. Prefabricated structural element.
2. Prestressed concrete.
3. Marine works.
4. Desalination plants.
5. Sewage Works- pipe and disposal works.
6. Ferrocement products.
7. For water proofing of structure.
8. Industrial applications.
9. Polymer Concrete Overlays.
10. Surfacing Material
11. Polymer Concrete Drainage System with Grating
12. Polymer concrete used to make Lintels
Prefabricated structural element
For solving the tremendous problem of urban housing storages,
maintaining quality, economy and speed, buildings had to fall back on
prefabricated technique of construction. At present due to low strength of
conventional concrete, the prefabricated sections are large and heavy,
resulting in costly handling and erection. These reasons have prevented
wide adoption of prefabricated in many countries.
At present, the technique of polymer impregnated is ideally suited for
precast concrete.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
It will find unquestionable use in industrialization of building components.
Owing to higher strength, much thinner and lighter sections could be used
which enables easy handling and erection. They can be even used in high
raised buildings without much difficulty. Polymer concrete precast components
continue to be widely used for junction boxes, communication boxes, machine bases, railroad
crossings, and wall panels.
Figure 7.1 Rail crossings
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.2 Prefabricated Structure
Prestressed concrete
Further development in prestressed concrete is hindered by the inability
to produce high strength concrete, compatibility with high tensile steel
available for prestressing. Since PIC provides a high compressive strength
of the order of 100 to 140 MPa, it will be possible to use it for large spans
and for heavier loads. Low creep properties of PIC will also make it a good
material for prestressed concrete.
Marine Works
Aggressive nature of sea water, abrasive and leaching action of waves and
inherent porosity, impair the durability of conventional concrete in marine
works. PIC possessing high surface hardness, very low permeability and
greatly increased resistance to chemical attack, is a suitable material for
marine works.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Desalination Plants
Desalination of sea water is being resorted to augment the shortage of
surface and ground water in many countries. The material used in the
construction of distillation vessels in such works has to withstand the
corrosive effects of distilled water, brine and vapour at temperature upto
1430C. Preliminary economic evaluation has indicated a saving in
construction cost over that of conventional concrete by thus use of PIC.
Figure 7.3 Vessels
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.3 Vessels
Sewage Disposal Works
It is common experience that concrete sewer pipes deteriorate due to the
attack of effluents and when buried is sulphate infested soils. Further, in
the sewage treatment plant, concrete structures are subjected to severe
attack from corrosive gases particularly in sludge digestion tanks. Polymer
impregnated concrete due to its high sulphate and acid resistance will
prove to be a suitable material in these situations.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.4 Egg Shaped Pipes
Figure 7.5 Circular Pipes
Ferrocement Products
The Ferrocement techniques of construction is being extensively used in manufacture of
boats, fishing trawlers, domestic water thanks, grain storage tanks, manhole cove, Chemical
Containment, Waste Containers etc.
Figure 7.6 Boat
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.7 Water Tank
Figure 7.8 Storage Tank
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.9 Man Hole and its Cover
Water proofing of structures
Seepage and leakage of water through roofs and bathrooms slabs, is a
nagging problem and has been fully over come by use of conventional
water proofing methods. The use of polymer impregnated mortar will solve
this problem.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Industrial Applications
Concrete has been used for floor for tanneries. Chemical factories, dairy
farms, base for a transformer and other machines. The newly developed PIC
will provide a permanent solution for durable flooring in such situations.
Machine Base Figure 7.10 Transformer Base
Polymer Concrete Overlays
Used to restore concrete surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, patios, pool decks, etc. They
are used to level uneven concrete surfaces to correct water drainage problems, hide crack
repairs and discolored concrete. Once cracks are repaired, a thin layer of overlay is applied in
a decorative way to enhance the concrete surface. Overlays give old concrete a completely
new look.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Before After
Figure 7.11 Polymer Concrete Overlays
Surfacing Material
Polymer concrete is a proven surfacing material for both interior and exterior concrete
surfaces. The long lasting durability of polymer concrete is abrasion and impact resistant
coupled with being fully resistant to the thermal cycling of the harshest winter cold or the
blistering heat of the summer sun. The polymer concrete system will maintain its beauty and
durability for years to come. The cement coating can be applied as paint.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Before Figure 7.1 Surfacing Process After
Figure 7.13 Finished Floor by Polymer Concrete
Polymer Concrete Drainage System with Grating
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.14 Drainage System with Grating
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.15 Implementation of Drainage System
Polymer concrete used to make Lintels
Polymer Concrete Lintels are horizontal element intended to carry the load of the upper walls
of door and window spans.
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Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 7.16 Polymer Concrete Lintels
Figure shows the application of polymer in concrete construction. Polymer
used in selected the project sites can be classified as new structure,
existing structure and bridge. The typical application of polymer is used to
repair concrete defects on columns, beam and slab. From the figure, the
applications of polymer are more on beam for new structure. For the
existing structure and bridge, the applications of polymer are more on
slab.
Figure 7.17 The application of polymer in concrete construction
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Application of Polymer Concrete
8. Application of Polymer Modified Concrete in Repair of
Column
A large copper mine and refinery in the western United States had a dilemma. Their cell
house, which contains over 1,500 cells, each holding more than 20,000 gallons of electrolyte,
had experienced severe corrosion and structural degradation of the support columns for the
tanks. Over time, highly acidic leakage from the cells had corroded the support columns to the
point that their ability to adequately withstand the imposed load was in doubt.
The leakage of copper sulfate and 25% sulfuric acid at a pH of 1.0 or less, corroded not only
the concrete but more significantly the No. 8 reinforcement bar (rebar) encased in the
concrete. Corrosion of the rebar resulted in an increase of internal pressure due to expansion
of the corrosion products, therefore putting the concrete in high tensile stress. The direct
effect of this stress was cracking the concrete. Figure 8.1 shows a typical degradated column
requiring restoration.
Figure 8.1 Column Degradation
The original construction of the columns used No. 8 rebar spaced 6-inches on center vertically
and 18-inches on center horizontally. The refinery’s standard repair procedure was to remove
corrosion products from the concrete and steel and then to top them with a polymer-modified
portland-cement mortar. They decided upon a new approach using a polymer concrete (PC).
This material is designed for maximum flowability, mechanical properties and chemical
resistance. The PC repair system utilizes the polymer concrete for encapsulation, chemical
protection, mechanical support and resistance to physical abuse.
Department of Civil Engineering, JNNCE Shivamogga Page 30
Application of Polymer Concrete
Figures 8.2 illustrate the method by which the stainless steel rebar was attached to
the columns after surface-preparation. Stainless steel rebar was imbedded into the concrete
floor using an epoxy mortar. These channels provided a recess into which the rebar was bent
and then secured into place with the epoxy mortar. Grouting of the rebar with this high
strength epoxy mortar also served to provide tensile stress relief. By lowering stress relief,
corrosion rates are reduced.
Figure 8.2 Stainless steel rebar bent and grouted
Polymer concrete was poured into place completely encapsulating the columns and
the rebar. 75 columns have been repaired using this method. Figures 8.3 and 8.4 show the
forming and pouring of the PC. Figure 8.5 shows the PC after the form has been removed.
Figure 8.3 The forms placed around the column
Department of Civil Engineering, JNNCE Shivamogga Page 31
Application of Polymer Concrete
Figure 8.4 Pouring of the polymer concrete
Figure 8.5 Columns after removal of forms
A slump of 6 inches is considered to be flowable. This particular polymer concrete used
exhibits a slump of 8-inches, which is very flowable. Figures 7.6 illustrate the flowability of
the polymer concrete mixture.
Figure 8.6 Slump Test
Department of Civil Engineering, JNNCE Shivamogga Page 32
Application of Polymer Concrete
The PC is roughly three times as strong as a portland cement mix and is not chemically
affected by the electrolyte. These properties make it an ideal product for the
column restoration. As expected, none of the 75 columns repaired to date have exhibited any
signs of failure and have required no maintenance since the repair program commenced in
early 2007. Coatings will typically have a service life of 8 to 15 years depending upon the
exposure and physical abuse. Figure 8.6 illustrates the completed column.
Figure 8.6 Completed column repair
Department of Civil Engineering, JNNCE Shivamogga Page 33
Application of Polymer Concrete
9. CONCLUSION
Corrosion protection from a severely aggressive electrolyte, as well as protection from
physical abuse.
Polymer concretes are also proving to be cost effective alternatives to using portland
cement-based concretes with chemical-resistant topcoats for corrosion protection.
The cost of maintenance for polymer concretes per year of service life is significantly
less than that of concrete with applied barrier coatings, which may require multiple
re-applications over the same number of years of service.
Polymer Concrete can be used for realizing the rehabilitation of structures by coating
or for realizing structural elements such as beams, columns, foundation beams, etc.
The substitution of cast iron with polymer concrete in machine tool main spindle
housing has been made. Without considerable reduction in static performances a
significant improvement in damping is obtained.
The new product, development time and the manufacturing cost have been
dramatically reduced due to the simplification of the production process.
The mechanical and chemical resistant properties of PIC composites are superior to
the conventional cement mortar
Porosity of the conventional cement mortar is greatly reduced when it is impregnated
with polymers thereby increasing its durability when it is exposed to chemically
polluted environments
Polymers give a more compact structure to the cement matrix and seal the cracks in
cement mortar matrix.
The main use of these materials is in thin section applications, in waterproofing and
protection of concrete structures.
10. Reference
Department of Civil Engineering, JNNCE Shivamogga Page 34
Application of Polymer Concrete
Application of Polymer in Concrete Construction by LEEENG HING in the year
2007/2008.
Concrete Technology Theory and Practice Text book by M.S. SHETTY.
Design and manufacture of hybrid polymer concrete bed for high-speed CNC milling
machine by JUNG DO SUH and DAI GIL LEE.
Polymer Concrete White Paper by David E. Snider and Heather M. Ramsey.
The compressive strength of a new urea formaldehyde-based polymer concrete by
A. ALZAYDI AND S. A. SHIHATA.
Department of Civil Engineering, JNNCE Shivamogga Page 35
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