Long-term performance of surface impregnation of reinforced concrete structures with silane

Silanes can act as hydrophobic pore liners for reinforced concrete (RC) structures. They can significantly reduce the depth of chloride penetration, a major cause of steel reinforcement corrosion. However, there is little published information on their long-term performance. Thirty-two concrete cores were extracted from eight full-scale RC bridge supporting cross-beams that were treated with silane 20 years ago. Their water absorption by capillarity was measured and compared with sixteen control cores extracted from four non-silane treated RC cross-beams constructed at the same time. Results show that silanes may provide a residual protective effect against water even after 20 years of service.