Industrial Chimney Concrete Repair
Concrete industrial chimneys can be found in facilities across a range of different industries, from manufacturing plants to energy plants and more. The rope access experts at Industrial Access, Inc. have the capabilities and experience to handle industrial chimney repairs and maintenance for concrete structures of all sizes and locations.
Concrete industrial chimneys require regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure that they are structural sound and at peak performance for production. Much like brick stacks and industrial chimneys, concrete structures are subject to moisture damage, spalling, and masonry corrosion. However, unlike the defects associated with brick stacks, concrete industrial chimneys are subject to unique problems and require specialized industrial chimney repair solutions including NDT structural testing.
Hairline cracks are commonly seen in concrete industrial chimneys due to wind loading, movement, swaying, and other environmental stressors. Shrinkage cracks can also be encountered, even on newly constructed industrial chimneys, and are caused when the concrete dries during construction. If a concrete industrial chimney has cracks of any kind, moisture can penetrate the concrete and soak into the steel frame, causing erosion to take place. Rain and snow are drawn through these cracks by capillary action, and begin to erode the steel reinforcing bars which will cause spalling of the concrete surface. Concrete industrial chimneys are also prone to chloride & carbonation attack depending on the environment they are built in.
Most concrete industrial chimneys are equipped with an acid-resistant lining to protect the concrete from acid attack. If the liner system fails or develops vulnerabilities over time or an environmental incident, gas can leak through open mortar joins or defects in the liner and cause erosion to the internal face of the stack. This problem will eventually surface on the chimney’s exterior as a rust-colored stain.
Industrial chimney repair service for concrete structures is an important component of regular upkeep and maintenance programs. With monitoring and inspection, concrete industrial chimneys will last longer and perform better. Any vulnerabilities in the concrete surface or interior lining system will be spotted quickly and handled immediately to prevent future damage, downtime, and outages or even safety hazards.
If you notice loose concrete spalling falling to ground level or rust stains on the outside of your concrete stack, it’s time to call in chimney repair experts.