Concrete structures are durable, but they aren't going to hold up forever. There may be a point when damage happens to your own structures. When it does happen, consider using a petrographic inspection. It has a lot of key applications.
Degree of Damage
You may already know your concrete structure is damaged just by performing a visual analysis, but figuring out the exact degree is a little more involved compared to just looking at structures. A lot of careful analysis needs to be conducted, and that's what you'll receive when you have a petrographic inspection performed.
The concrete structure will go through a thorough analysis that will let you know the exact degree of damage, whether it's small cracks or major structural damage that actually poses a safety risk. Knowing the degree of damage is a good starting point for figuring out the right and necessary repairs.
Probability of Damage Continuing
There are two probable scenarios with damaged concrete on a structure. Either the damage will cease or it will continue getting worse. If the latter turns out to be true, you need a plan quick so that you can keep repair costs as low as possible.
Petrographic inspections will give you a pretty complete picture of the probability of the concrete damage getting worse. Concrete specialists will analyze the signs and the extent of damage and then give you a report. And if it turns out that concrete damage will continue getting worse, you'll know you need to put together a repair plan quick.
Help You Decide Between Repair and Replacement Options
You can approach concrete problems a couple of different ways. You can either have the sections repaired or replace them entirely. You want to have further understanding of the concrete damage before you end up choosing an option. Petrographic inspections give you this analysis in a detailed and structured way.
You'll receive a breakdown of the cost to repair the concrete sections versus having them replaced. If the repair costs are more than the costs to replace sections, you'll obviously know to go the replacement route. In contrast, if you can have the concrete repaired in a cost-effective way and the repair can hold up, then that's going to be the best option.
Petrographic inspections are very helpful when concrete structures suffer problems. If you end up working with a company that is skilled at completing them, you'll get meaningful results that let you map out what to do next. Contact a company that offers petrographic services to learn more.
Share