Control of Frost Damage to Concrete by Surface Coating

This study comprehensively examines thee ffect of concrete surface coating material on the prevention of frost damage, conducting freezing and thawing tests of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers; new freezing and thawing test methods incorporating high-temperature drying conditions; and various tests on the performance of coating film. First, relatively excellent surface-coating materials for preventing frost damage were selected by tests with mortar specimens and coating film tests. Second, with these surface-coating materials, the effects of water cement ratio, curing methods and defects in concrete on the performance of coated concrete under freezing and thawing were investigated. From the test results, it was shown that coating material of flexible thick-film epoxy resin is the most effective in preventing frost damage; defects in concrete greatly affect flexural strength of concrete under freezing and thawing; and newly-proposed freezing and thawing tests can accelerate the deterioration of surface-coated concrete and the swelling of coating film itself.