Evonik says its silane products, with their anti-corrosive properties, can play a key role in providing durable protection to steel reinforced concrete structures.

Corrosion of reinforced concrete structures, particularly private and public buildings, bridges and parking decks, can prove to be very expensive, Jameel Ahsan, regional business manager for silanes, Evonik Gulf FZE, tells Gulf Construction.

Preventing the corrosion of rebar in such structures should be a primary focus as this corrosion can undermine their mechanical stability and hence the durability of buildings, he says.

Protectosil protects reinforced concrete structures including bridges and parking decks.

Silanes can provide protection from corrosion as they can give mineral building materials a high degree of durability and resistance without affecting their appearance.

One such range of silane products is Evonik’s Protectosil, which has been protecting buildings and structures for over 30 years. They have been tested in various climatic conditions including those of the Gulf region. Protectosil is even used in the tropical hot and humid climate in South East Asia.  Such harsh climates affect the facades or even the stability and safety of buildings, Ahsan points out.

Protectosil is one of the most successful brands in the field of hydrophobation (water repellents), graffiti control, corrosion inhibition (corrosion inhibitor treatment) and surface protection (easy to clean).  The range of Protectosil products provides an effective solution for almost every material, from concrete and bricks to natural stone, sandstone, marble, granite and render.

“Using Evonik’s Protectosil can significantly extend the lifetime of buildings by providing protection from the ingress of water, contaminants and oil. Most importantly, the treatment with Protectosil products reduces maintenance and energy costs,” says Ahsan.

Its use, he says, tremendously reduces the cost of structures that it protects. “Usually the initial investment pay off starts with the first maintenance cycle, which is significantly prolonged and requires less effort,” he says.

Ahsan says Evonik offers a wide spectrum of Protectosil building protection products, enabling customers to choose the optimal product or product combination for almost every type of application and mineral substrate.

“The wide range of different Protectosil products offers a perfect solution for almost any kind of protective function for almost any type of mineral building material,” he says.

Protectosil CIT, for example, is a surface-applied clear liquid that penetrates concrete and inhibits the electrochemical corrosion process and provides protection against the ingress of water and water-soluble contaminants, such as chloride ions.

Protectosil Dry CIT and Protectosil WA CIT, on the other hand, can be added to the concrete mix design to provide excellent protection against corrosion of steel reinforcement from the very beginning.

Protectosil corrosion protection products are specifically suited for application in marine environments where constructions are exposed to sea water and the risk of corrosion is especially high.

These products chemically react with mineral substrates, such as concrete. By doing so, the products become part of the building materials matrix, Ahsan points out.

“Even harsh weathering conditions cannot harm the protection and the products cannot be washed out,” he points out.