Ensuring concrete longevity

Extending the service life of concrete flooring requires a multi-faceted approach, including the selection of the most appropriate treatment and ensuring that the product is correctly applied.

Cortec asserts that its line of MCI Technologies offers a range of treatments, such as its MCI-2026 floor coating, that help to ensure concrete longevity.

The company explains that the first step in selecting a product to extend service life is considering the structure and its environment. Examples of products used for specific applications include:

Migrating Corrosion Inhibitor admixtures are suitable for flooring in a harsh winter environment where deicing salts will be used.

MCI Mini Grenades can be incorporated into repair mortars to ensure that repaired concrete lasts longer.

Surface applied corrosion inhibitors (SACIs) such as MCI-2020 can be periodically applied to ward off corrosion on existing structures.

MCI-2026 floor coating can be used to prevent external concrete damage from heavy traffic and exposure to harsh chemicals, leading to corrosion.

MCI-2026 floor coating is particularly suited to the following applications:

• Applications with strict volatile organic compound (VOC) limits, as the coating is a 100% solids, two-component novolac epoxy coating with zero VOCs, which is ideal for maintaining VOC compliance and aids in ensuring the safety of workers applying the coating.
• Federally inspected plants, as it meets all USDA/FDA guidelines for use in federally inspected facilities.
• Areas with heavy traffic and/or chemical spillage as the coating is said to achieve a high degree of physical and chemical resistance while maintaining excellent adhesion to properly placed primers. In so doing, it protects concrete surfaces from aggressive industrial environments and prevents the intrusion of corrosive elements that would cause further concrete deterioration at the reinforcement level.

MCI-2026 floor coating can be used alone as a body/basecoat or as a topcoat if additional internal moisture resistance is needed by priming the floor below.

Cortec also highlights the importance of applying products correctly, stating that good surface preparation is critical to ensuring the best performance possible. Before applying a floor coating, the concrete floor should be clean and sound, with a minimum surface profile of CSP-2 and existing coatings should be removed to ensure proper adhesion. As a two-component product (a feature that allows crosslinking for an overall stronger coating chemistry), MC-2026 floor coating should be properly mixed and applied at the right temperatures according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The company asserts that the correct use of its floor coating will result in concrete floors with a high degree of physical and chemical resistance, making the floor more durable and helping it to last longer by protecting against physical and chemical damage and by blocking the intrusion of corrosives in an aggressive environment.