We have all heard the old adage “if these walls could talk!” Well, when it comes to concrete storage structures, they actually do. Most people take them for granted, investing rather in revenue-generating material handling equipment. Typically, unless you regularly deal in the concrete maintenance industry, you probably think “it’s concrete, it’s indestructible”. In fact, these structures are actually quite sensitive to all conditions.
Visible issues on the walls or lids of concrete silos should not be ignored. They are not normal and should not happen. These are literally the structure’s way of telling you that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. There are often underlying forces at play that creates these issues. So, please – walk around your facility and look for the following:
- Exposed rebar, especially at lap splices
- Fractures and cracks
- Loose shards of concrete
- Missing pieces of concrete
- Exposed aggregate or loss of matrix
- Staining and fungicidal growth
- Displacement or bulges in the concrete
Concrete has very little tensile strength and the reinforcing steel is used to provide this element of strength. Unfortunately, this embedded steel can lead to severe structural concerns when it deteriorates or corrodes, or when the lap splices fail. Deterioration is due to things such as, but not limited to misplacement during original construction, electrolysis, galvanic reactions, chemical reactions, chloride attack, and carbonation. Furthermore, many older concrete storage units simply were not designed or built to withstand the forces which are applied to them today. There are also other unique things that can cause deterioration depending on a variety of circumstances at a given facility.
If you have questions or concerns regarding the condition or status of your concrete storage structure or other structure, do not hesitate to contact Trisco Systems, Inc. at 419-339-3906 or visit us online at triscosystems.com.