CASE HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: Case History #46: Pentagon Wall Restoration

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November 04, 2021

Historical structures have significant cultural values and part of preserving our heritage is preserving these structures. Due to their importance and uniqueness, they typically require special care when it comes to rehabilitating them. Cortec® Corporation was involved in the restoration of the ring walls that exhibited signs of deterioration due to carbonation induced corrosion that was clear in the shallow concrete cover. Cortec’s surface applied corrosion inhibitor, MCI®-2020, was used to control corrosion of the imbedded reinforcement, The goal was to extend service life by 20 years using a system of surface applied corrosion inhibitor and followed up with water repellent treatment. Cortec® was able to show the effectiveness of the inhibitor and by taking corrosion rate measurements using a linear polarization device.

Read the full case history here.

For a PDF version please click here.

Keywords: MCI, Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors, Cortec, concrete surface preparation, concrete additives, concrete, corrosion, corrosion inhibitor, surface applied, grouting, post-tensioning, rebar, restoration, concrete restoration, concrete sealant, service life, reinforced steel, concrete service life, from grey to green post tensioning cables, construction delays, grouting delays, grouting delay requirements

NEWS ALERT: Cortec® Excited to be Part of Host Chapter for ICRI Fall 2021 Convention

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November 2, 2021

Cortec® was excited to return to a live convention for ICRI’s Fall 2021 convention in Minneapolis, MN! Our entire MCI® team – Ashraf Hasania (MCI® Technical Sales & Product Manager), Kevin Quan (MCI® Regional Sales Manager, East Coast), Jon Connealy (MCI® Regional Sales Manager, Midwest), Lisa Marston (MCI® Regional Technical Service Engineer) and Jessi Meyer (Vice President – Technical Sales & Product Management) – was on hand to welcome attendees to the convention and educate them on
the MCI® product line at our tabletop booth. As a part of the Minnesota Chapter of ICRI, Jessi Meyer helped with the chapter hosted events of Axe Throwing at Flannel Jax’s in St. Paul, and a Riverboat Cruise down the Mississippi River. First time attendees, Kevin Quan and Lisa Marston were able to participate in a First Time Attendee’s reception on Monday evening as well as a scavenger hunt.

Attendance was a bit lower than normal as the first live convention since Fall of 2019, however all attendees seemed genuinely happy to see a return to meeting in person again! Our team continued to play an important role in ICRI committees participating in the Corrosion Committee, Membership and Marketing Committees, and the Life-Cycle and Sustainability Committee. Marston and Meyer also enjoyed attending the Women in ICRI committee and listening to guest speaker Natalie Faber, who spoke about her newly founded 501 (C) 6 program called 3C, which helped to place 155 disadvantaged youth in concrete repair industry internships in its first summer program. “It’s amazing to see what a difference one person can make, and I am excited to see how we can help the program grow in Minnesota and other areas around the country,” Meyer commented.

Cortec® looks forward to following up with the many individuals who visited the MCI® booth during the October 10th-13th convention and
anticipates seeing many familiar and unfamiliar faces once again at the 2022 ICRI Spring Convention in April 2022! Look for details on the
upcoming event here: https://www.icri.org/events/event_list.asp#

Keywords: MCI, Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors, Cortec, concrete repair, concrete surface preparation, concrete surface repair, , concrete additives, repair mortar, cathodic protection, concrete coatings, concrete, mortar, grout, corrosion, corrosion inhibitor, surface applied, grouting, post-tensioning, rebar, restoration, concrete restoration, concrete sealant, service life, concrete service life, from grey to green, ICRI Fall Convention, Women in ICRI, ICRI Minnesota Chapter

For a PDF version please click here.

PRESS RELEASE: Get Ready for Winter PT Grouting Delays with MCI®-309!

October 27, 2021

For better or worse, winter is on its way to the Northern Hemisphere. It will soon be time to pull out warmer coats, hats, and boots and rev up the snowblower. On the jobsite, it will be time to face inconvenient winter construction delays, including grouting delays for PT (ing) projects as the temperatures drop too low. Since state and federal requirements typically call for corrosion inhibitor application if the waiting period is two weeks or longer, it is important to be ready with the best option on the market for PT grouting delays: MCI®-309!

Efficient Protection for PT Tendons
MCI®-309 from Cortec® Corporation is an extremely efficient method of protecting metals within an enclosed space. It comes in dry powder form and can easily be fogged through PT ducts with a low-pressure air hose before the duct is capped. Once applied, MCI®-309 vaporizes and travels throughout the PT duct, forming a protective molecular layer on the metal surfaces of the PT strands. This layer is self-replenishing if disturbed, as new protective vapor continuously redeposits on the surface. MCI®-309 is considered an ambiodic (mixed) inhibitor that protects at both the anode and cathode of a corrosion cell.

Why Choose MCI®-309?
There are several reasons MCI®-309 is ideal for PT grouting delays:
1) It reduces corrosion on PT tendons during a vulnerable pre-grouting period.
2) It is easy to apply. Little to no surface prep is required.
3) It protects hard to reach areas through vapor action.
4) It typically does not need to be flushed out prior to grouting, unlike oil-based inhibitors.

Another positive feature of MCI®-309 is that it does not contain silicates, phosphates, nitrites, or heavy metals. It does not increase the risk of hydrogen embrittlement for high tensile strength steel. Neither does it affect physical properties of concrete and grout (set time, strengths, etc.). Testing performed by American Engineering and Testing, Inc., confirmed that MCI®-309 does not affect strand pull-out strength compared to a control. Furthermore, an approximately year long test at the Pennsylvania State University Grouting Laboratory showed a positive reduction in corrosion on prestressing strands placed in PVC pipes containing a saltwater solution and treated with MCI®-309 (a worst-case scenario compared to dry conditions recommended for MCI®-309 PT duct application).

Recent Examples of MCI®-309
MCI®-309 has been used for winter grouting delays in recent bridge projects of note. The St. Croix River Crossing was a monumental bridge opened in 2017 to alleviate constricted traffic flow between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Due to its unique location in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the bridge was made with a special extradosed design (combination box girder and cable stay bridge) to minimize the visual impact on the landscape. The pre-cast boxlike segments were connected by PT cables, which required corrosion protection during grouting delays in the notoriously harsh winter environment. MCI®-309 was chosen for the job.

MCI®-309 was also used during construction of the Samuel De Champlain Bridge, the world’s widest twoplane cable stay bridge and one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America to date. MCI®-309 was chosen for winter PT grouting delays on the main structure and has seen continued use in the Réseau Express Métropolitain light rail system segment of the project.

Do the Possible!
While it is impossible to stop the inevitable approach of winter and grouting delays, it is possible to minimize the negative effects by selecting an efficient method of corrosion protection. Contact Cortec® today to discuss MCI®-309 for easy PT strand protection in your next construction project:
https://www.cortecmci.com/contact-us/

Learn more about MCI®-309 here: https://www.cortecmci.com/product/mci-309/

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For a PDF version please click here.

Equip Your Construction Crew with a Full PT Protection System!

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PT (post-tensioning) cables typically consist of relatively narrow metal strands under high tension. Even a minor loss of cross-section from corrosion damage could lead to snapping and failure, resulting in serious structural damage. MCI®-309 is an extremely efficient method of dry corrosion mitigation to meet this critical need for protecting PT strands during grouting delays. Even better, Cortec® MCI® Technology goes a step farther by offering a full protection system for each stage of the PT construction process.

Shipping and Storage
PT strands are often exposed to unpredictable and corrosive environments during transport and onsite storage. Instead of simply covering them in conventional plastic, manufacturers and/or construction crews can wrap them in MCI® Construction Film for an added layer of corrosion protection. Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors in the plastic form a protective molecular layer on all accessible metal surfaces packaged within and do not need to be removed before PT placement.

PT Strand Placement
Protection of PT strands after placement in the PT duct is the most familiar PT corrosion concern. State and federal regulations often call for corrosion inhibitor application if grouting will be delayed two weeks or more. MCI®-309 is the optimal choice because it is easy to apply with little to no surface prep, typically does not need to be removed before grouting, and does not adversely impact bonding with grout. (Check out this video to see how easy it is to apply MCI®-309: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMw1uhIEZss&ab_channel=CortecCorporation.)

Grouting and Beyond
Mini MCI® Grenades can be added to the PT duct grout to provide ongoing protection in the completed structure. Mini MCI® Grenades contain Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors packed in water-soluble bags that easily dissolve when added to the grouting mix. One Mini MCI® Grenade® protects 0.4-0.6 ft³ (0.011-0.017 m³) of grout mixture.

By incorporating MCI® at every stage, contractors can promote a longer service life for the all-important tendons that support PT structures, thus enhancing the durability of the entire structure. Contact us for further assistance: https://www.cortecmci.com/contact-us/

Keywords: post tensioning cables, construction delays, PT tendon, PT strands, MCI, Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors, post tension buildings, post tension concrete, corrosion of post tension cable, grouting delays, grouting delay requirements

Equip Your Construction Crew with a Full PT Protection System!

NEWS ALERT: Join Cortec® Southeast Asia at the Virtual Indonesian Infrastructure Week!

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Cortec® Southeast Asia (SEA) is looking forward to penetrating the surrounding region with Cortec® corrosion solutions by expanding its user base at the upcoming Virtual Indonesian Infrastructure Week Exhibition! The live portion of the virtual event will take place November 3rd-5th on the Infrastructure Connect platform where more than 10,000 professionals are expected to gather to learn more about new technologies and innovations related to infrastructure needs. Cortec® SEA is looking forward to the opportunity to introduce MCI® Technologies for extending concrete service life to architects, engineers, contractors, government officials, and many others. In particular, they are eager to discuss the following topics:

• Migrating Corrosion Inhibiting admixtures for new construction: standards, function, and impact on service life
• Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors for protection of PT structures
• Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors for repair and rehabilitation of existing structures
• Preservation of assets during construction delays

If you are in the region or know someone who is, be sure to register and spread the word about this exciting networking and educational opportunity! Register here: https://infrastructureconnect.id/visitor-registration/

For a PDF version please click here.

PRESS RELEASE: Concrete Cleanup Time Is Here! Unleash the Power of Cortec® MCI® Bio-Enzyme Cleaners

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Fall and spring are great times for outdoor cleanup. When it comes to concrete, this may involve removing unsightly stains made by oil spills or organic waste. While alkaline or harsh solvent-based cleaners have been the standard treatment, this is no longer necessary thanks to Cortec’s two MCI® biological cleaners that unleash the power of microorganisms to deepclean concrete stains!

MCI®-2061 and MCI®-2062 are two bio-enzymatic cleaners for general-purpose cleaning on concrete, asphalt, and other permeable surfaces. Both are formulated with biodegradable surfactants that lift and disperse the waste. Secondary cleaning action is due to preserved bacterial spores that germinate into active microorganisms when the cleaners are properly applied. These spores digest the waste materials and remain in the substrate after rinsing to continue degrading residual waste materials following the initial cleaning.

When dealing with stains made by hydrocarbons, MCI®-2061 is the cleaner of choice. MCI®-2061 contains
microorganisms specially suited to biodegrading a wide range of hydrocarbons, including (but not limited to) gasoline, diesel, crude oil, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene. It is an excellent option for any concrete surface regularly exposed to hydrocarbon materials:

• Parking garages
• Bridges
• Roads
• Gas stations
• Oil change bays
• Auto repair shops
• Petroleum processing plants
• Warehouses

When the stain is organic based, MCI®-2062 can be used. MCI®-2062 contains free enzymes and microorganisms capable of biodegrading a wide range of organic food waste—including grease, oil, protein, fat, starch, and other solid organic wastes—in order to leave facilities sparkling clean and odor free. This may be indoors on bathroom and kitchen floors or outdoors on grimy dumpster pads and on sidewalks stained with fallen leaves. Furthermore, MCI®-2062 can be used beyond basic surface cleaning activities to help with maintenance of grease traps, drains, and septic tanks. Potential users are countless:

• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Waste management facilities
• Organic waste treatment plants
• Building and ground maintenance crews
• Homeowner associations

In addition to their hydrocarbon and organic waste digestion power, MCI®-2061 and MCI®-2062 are great cleaning options because they reduce health and safety hazards compared to standard solvent or alkali-based cleaners. They reduce pollution liabilities and even remain active when rinsed away, continuing to work to purify the rinse water and downstream drain lines, sewer systems, grease traps, or holding tanks.

No time is a good time to have oil and organic waste spills soiling concrete surfaces, but now is a great time to unleash the deep-cleaning power of
MCI®-2061 and MCI®-2062 on unsightly concrete stains! Contact the Cortec® MCI® team today for assistance:
https://www.cortecmci.com/contact-us/

Learn more about MCI®-2061 here: https://www.cortecmci.com/product/mci-2061/

Learn more about MCI®-2062 here:https://www.cortecmci.com/product/mci-2062/

Keywords: fall cleanup, spring cleaning, concrete stain remover, biological cleaning products, concrete maintenance, building management companies, Cortec, Cortec MCI, oil spill cleanup, hydrocarbon spill, green cleaning products, oil stains, grease stains, bio-enzymatic cleaners, septic maintenance, drain maintenance, grease trap maintenance

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For a PDF version please click here.