Maintenance of concrete pavements How is it done

1. Maintenance of concrete pavements: How is it done? The maintenance of concrete pavements is a very important task because it allows them to be kept in good condition; avoiding spending time and money on repairs. Although concrete pavement is popularly known for its long useful life, the truth is that it is not a structure immune to deterioration caused by the transit of people and vehicles, environmental conditions, etc. The maintenance of concrete pavements is not something simple. So that you know the difficulty and importance of this work, we invite you to continue reading.

2. What is the maintenance of concrete pavements? The maintenance of concrete pavements, in itself, is a set of technical tasks that are carried out regularly to control the degradation of these structures. These tasks range from diagnosis to repair of the condition of the pavement. Concrete pavements are structures that are in constant interaction with their environment, so they can deteriorate due to multiple causes. Among the most recurrent causes are: •The accumulated effect of loads of the traffic of vehicles and people. •Errors made in the design or during the construction of the pavement: poor curing, excessive mixing, use of aggregates not resistant to freeze-thaw cycles, etc. •Thermal and humid effects of the environment. •Differential settlements. •Loss of support due to erosion of the base and sub-base. The basic objective of concrete pavement maintenance is to prevent damage to these structures, whether superficial or deep (in several centimeters of their thickness), to extend their useful life. “The maintenance of concrete pavements is also vital to avoid rehabilitation work, which implies higher technical and economic expenses.” It is important to highlight that all maintenance must be carried out in full compatibility and correspondence with the design and construction provisions of the concrete pavement in question.

3. What are the 2 types of concrete pavement maintenance? Depending on the state of the pavement and the regularity (or periodicity) of maintenance, the main types of maintenance are as follows. Preventive Maintenance As its name suggests, it constitutes a series of techniques that are applied to prevent severe deterioration in concrete pavements. Therefore, they are carried out periodically. These failures only compromise the level of service of the pavement, that is, they generate inconvenience and discomfort for passers-by and drivers. Preventive maintenance of concrete pavements is carried out on the surface since the most common incipient damages are mainly manifested there. Corrective maintenance The corrective maintenance is applied when the damage of concrete pavement has evolved to an advanced stage; affecting the structure extensively and deeply. In this situation, not only the level of service is compromised, but also the structural integrity.

4. Corrective maintenance techniques consist mainly of repairing the various deteriorations of the concrete pavement, acting on the thickness of the slab totally or partially. What techniques include the maintenance of concrete pavements? Today, the maintenance of concrete pavements encompasses a large number of techniques to restore the optimal state of these structures, both at a structural level and at a functional and aesthetic level. Among the most used concrete pavement maintenance techniques, we highlight the following: Full-thickness slab repair It is a technique that consists of removing and replacing part or all of a deteriorated concrete pavement slab; in all its depth. In essence, this Concrete repair is made up of the following stages: •Demarcation and isolation of the deteriorated area. •Demolition and removal of affected concrete. •Repair of the base and drainage structures (if necessary). •Incorporation of load transfer on the transverse faces. •Placing and finishing the repair concrete. •Thermal insulation and curing of concrete. •Sawing and sealing of the repair area. Partial-thickness slab repair

5. Unlike the previous one, it is a preventive maintenance technique for concrete pavements that consists of removing and changing ONE PART of a slab. This technique only serves to correct superficial damage, that is, it does not affect more than a third of the thickness of the pavement. Are you looking for Concrete repair near me? Contact Pavement Services experts! The execution of this technique consists of the following essential steps: •Demarcation of the deteriorated area. •Removal of affected concrete. •Cleaning the area to be repaired. •Meeting preparation. •Placement of the bonding bridge (epoxy materials or cement grout). •Surface finish. •Textured. •Cured. •Joint resealing. Sealing of joints and fissures This is another technique of preventive maintenance of concrete pavements whose purpose is to reduce the entry of water and incomprehensible materials. For this, concrete sealants are used. When should maintenance work be done?

6. It is essential that all maintenance is carried out just when the deterioration begins to appear in the concrete pavement, in order to more effectively control the evolution of these. However, it is recommended that you opt for preventive maintenance, since corrective maintenance consumes more time and money, and traffic should be stopped completely. Some of the most common failures are: •Edge breaks: It is a full-thickness crack that intersects a transverse joint with a longitudinal joint. It is caused by poor load transfer or loss of support due to erosion, among other reasons. •Longitudinal cracks: Another type of full-thickness crack that is characterized by having an orientation parallel to the axis of the pavement. It can be the product of early cracking or fatigue, joint reflection … •Surface wear: It is a disintegration of the pavement surface, which is distinguished by a loss of texture and surface mortar and by exposure of the coarse aggregate. It is due to the use of low- quality concrete, poor curing, etc. Conclusions The conclusion of the article is summarized in the first line of this one: the maintenance of concrete pavements is essential because it saves time and a lot of money in repairing fissures and cracks, among others. Although concrete can last for tens of years, it is important to give it some care to ensure that it meets its full useful life.

7. It constitutes a set of techniques that can only be developed by good professionals, such as the substitution of slabs or the application of concrete sealants. There are 2 types of Concrete repair in Houston: preventive and corrective, and both are intended to extend the durability of the pavement and ensure that no failures appear. Source Url: https://pavementservices.wordpress.com/2021/12/01/maintenance-of- concrete-pavements-how-is-it-done/