Pavement & Parking Structures

Parking garages in this region are attacked by road salts and water throughout much of the year.  The cost to repair deteriorated concrete can be quite high and the project can cause significant inconvenience to garage users. So, as part of a parking garage restoration project, we recommend and our clients tend to include, application of a vehicular-traffic-bearing membrane on the structural slabs to help protect their investment and extend the service life of the garage.

There are two basic classes of products commonly used to protect garage slabs, one of which is penetrating sealers. Penetrating sealers include materials such as silanes and siloxanes, which are silicone-based water repellants. These compounds penetrate into the concrete and react with the silica to create a water repellant barrier that also retards chloride migration.

Penetrating sealers are breathable so they do not create a vapor barrier and are relatively inexpensive. However, they do not seal cracks and require frequent reapplication as their effectiveness decreases with wear and time. These materials usually need to be renewed on a three to five year schedule.

The other class is traffic-bearing membranes, which are liquid-applied materials in several layers of cementitious, epoxy, or urethane compounds. These systems are all relatively thick (up to about 90 mils) and are designed with the properties needed to withstand the destructive forces imposed by vehicles tires.

Cementitious products are generally robust, breathable, and well suited for on-grade or elevated slabs, especially those with steel decking supports.

Epoxies are very durable and offer outstanding abrasion resistance, but are not breathable and are less flexible.  So they are prone to cracking when slabs move/crack over time. They are well suited for on-grade slabs and areas where chemical and/or extreme wear resistance is needed.

Urethanes are softer, non-breathable, and more flexible so they have the ability to bridge cracks, which makes them ideal for elevated, reinforced concrete slabs. Some systems include an epoxy primer so that the urethane can be applied to on-grade slabs. Systems from reputable manufacturers are generally warranted for five to ten years and can remain serviceable longer, if properly maintained.  Most membrane systems offer fast-cure and low-odor formulations, if the project has special requirements.

Consult your trusted restoration engineer before embarking on a garage coating project, as picking the right coating system can make the difference between a successful and not-so successful result.

If scientists from South Korea have created a product that works as well as its advertisement says it does (and not many do), a new self-healing concrete coating may be on the market soon.  They claim that it can automatically seal cracks and  prevent water from entering concrete pavement. The new, high-tech coating is intended for roadway use and claims to be inexpensive and environmentally friendly.

The secret of this new self-healing concrete protective coating is that it contains microcapsules that are filled with a material that can seal cracks. So when a crack occurs, the microcapsules are ruptured, and the integral sealant is released. When sunlight hits the material it becomes solidified, and thereby completes the sealing process. The new material promises to reduce the need to frequently repave roads, however, it is not clear what might happen on shady streets.

The scientists claim to have created the first self-healing protective coating for concrete, as well as the first to use capsule-type, photo-induced, materials that are catalyst-free, environment-friendly, and inexpensive,  We will keep you abreast of any future developments

If you are contemplating laying a new concrete driveway or replacing an old asphalt parking lot, consider an environmentally friendly and potentially cost-saving option: permeable pavement. Traditional concrete and asphalt hardscapes are impervious, which means that storm water collects on the surface and runs to the storm drainage system. Standard hardscapes often lead to increased costs to install and maintain storm water management systems. They also create runoff which contributes to flooding and erosion. A green option such as permeable pavement allows a large portion of the rain water to drain through the material and filter into the ground below.

You may have heard of permeable pavement referred to by different name, including pervious pavement, porous pavement, or even popcorn pavement. Some of these pavements feature porous concrete or asphalt which literally allows water to drain through it via an interconnected system of voids. Other pavements feature a system of permeable pavers which allow water to travel through the material, as well as between the pavers. All these permeable hardscapes accomplish the same goals: helping the environment by reducing storm water runoff and helping your wallet by eliminating or reducing the need for retention ponds, underground retention tanks, swales, and other storm water management mechanisms.

There are just as many applications of permeable pavements as there are design considerations and limitations, so be sure to have a qualified professional discuss with you which options are best suited for your specific goals!